Silent Embers
by Cazzy20
Summary: Can a secret stay silent forever? Or will it burn its way free?
1. Chapter 1

**_Can a secret stay silent forever? Or will it burn its way out?_**

 ** _All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._**

 ** _Amazing artwork by Mist._**

 ** _Thanks to GeezerWench and Sabrina Michaels for their help getting this started._**

 **Chapter 1**

Eleyne Standish walked quickly away from the car park toward the hospital entrance. It had been a long day for her and she was tired. Her step quickened as she entered the hospital, not that she was in a hurry to get this over with, on the contrary she was going to visit her grandmother today and that was something she loved to do. Ellie visited her grandmother every day that she was in hospital. It wasn't necessarily that she enjoyed seeing her gran in hospital but she was glad to visit her none the less.

Her gran had had a fall almost twelve weeks ago. She had a couple of operations on her legs since then, but she was improving—a situation for which Ellie was incredibly grateful. Even at eighty-one years old, her grandmother was vivacious and fun loving. Her mind was still as sharp as it had ever been, and she looked years younger than she was. Seeing her laid up and frail had been very hard for Ellie to cope with. Her grandmother, on the other hand, had handled it in her usual optimistic fashion and very soon had the hospital staff running around after her.

Ellie couldn't imagine life without her grandmother; she had raised Ellie since her mother's death when Ellie was three. Of Ellie's father, there had been no sign at all since he was told he was going to be a father, and Ellie sincerely hoped it stayed that way. As far as she was concerned, she didn't need a father. She didn't need a man period. In her eyes, she only needed her gran.

Her gran had had a great life. She had really lived it. Born in a little town on the other side of the country, she had _got the hell out of there_ the first chance she got. She had done university in Arizona, then travelled the world for a few years before finally settling in Littleton, New Hampshire—where she had worked as a part-time barmaid and a writer of travel guides. She claimed she liked the social side of bar work. Ellie could well believe that. She had frequently travelled, making the trip to New York to meet with publishers every few months and disappearing off to foreign climes for her next book.

Ellie could not really understand why her gran had settled in Littleton, although from hearing her gran talk about her life, she was fairly sure a man was involved. Men had always been her gran's major weakness. She had had three husbands and several boyfriends. None of whom were Ellie's grandfather. A dashing British soldier called David, he had been a one-night stand in Malta, where she had been travelling in-between husbands one and two. But the memory of him always brought a fond smile and wistful expression to her face.

Ellie's father had been born when her gran was thirty-five years old. They travelled while he was small, but once he reached school age; her gran simply gave it up and opened a bookstore in Littleton, married husband number two, and became a responsible parent.

Sadly, the same could not be said of her son. Neither Ellie or her grandmother had heard from him for the last twenty-three years, when, at twenty-four, he was told by his nineteen year-old girlfriend that he was going to be a dad. He was now presumed dead somewhere but they would probably never know for sure. Ellie knew her gran was deeply hurt by his behaviour but she had never let it show.

She had taken Ellie's mother Sarah in when her parents kicked her out. She had helped her through her pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, and the premature birth of Ellie at 31 weeks. She had visited the incubator her tiny granddaughter was in religiously every day and sat side-by-side with Sarah as they watched her start to grow and thrive. They had lived together since then, and when Sarah developed cancer two years later, her gran had nursed her until her death.

Ellie could barely remember her mother. Her gran had made sure there were lots of pictures of her around and was happy to speak of her at any time. They rarely mentioned Ellie's father. Husband number three had come along then. Bill Standish had been a lovely man who had helped with the infant Eleyne and never questioned the lack of father. He had been close to Sarah before her death. He had loved her gran very much and she had loved him devotedly. When he had died five years ago, both women had been heartbroken. He was the only grandfather Ellie had ever known, and she was more than happy to have his name.

But all the death and heartache had never dampened her grandmother's spirits. In her eyes, she was still the eighteen year-old Jessica Stanley who had fled from the tiny town of Forks and never looked back. She said she had no regrets and valued every moment of the life she had had. To Ellie, her gran was simply amazing.

Ellie herself was a very different person to her grandmother. At twenty-two she was a slender, pretty young woman of average height with dark auburn, wavy hair and vivid green eyes. In Ellie's opinion, they were her most attractive feature. Her skin was always pale, but had a healthy glow. She was a confident and happy person, with a wicked sense of humour.

She had not been blessed with the adventurous spirit of wanderlust that both her gran and father had. She was more _steady_. That was how she would describe herself. While she enjoyed the foreign holidays she and her grandparents had taken, Ellie felt no desire to take off and backpack around the world alone. She enjoyed learning and reading. Ellie had finished her degree at Plymouth University the year before and had since been helping in her gran's bookshop while she decided her next move. She had all the time in the world to decide a career, or so her gran had told her.

"Don't settle for a life you didn't choose, my darling," her gran told her often. "You can do anything you want to, so make sure it is something you want to do. Life is too short for regrets."

Ellie wanted to be a writer. Her main ambition was to write her gran's life story and have it published. She wanted to travel, but wanted hotels and restaurants rather than hostels, camping and fireside cooking. Not that she minded roughing it on occasion, just not all the time. But the thing she wanted most was to be there for her gran as she got older in the same way her grandmother had been there for her.

Walking into her gran's room, she was met with her usual beaming grin.

"Hello darling. You don't have to visit every day you know. You must have more important things to do," Jessica said cheerily to her beautiful granddaughter. She knew that she was the most important thing in Eleyne's life, and while she was grateful, she also wished it wasn't so. Jessica would wish for nothing more than her granddaughter to find her wings and fly.

"Oh, come on, gran," Ellie answered with a chuckle, "You know I would be lost without my daily slice of gossip." Jessica grinned and nodded. That was one trait she had never lost over the years, she did enjoy her gossip.

"So what's new today?" Ellie asked, sitting down on a chair by the window facing her gran.

"Well, apparently, we are getting a dishy new Doctor. He is starting today, but I doubt I will see him for a few days. He is going to be mainly in paediatrics. All the nurses are in a tizzy. They are talking about moving departments."

"So what's his name, how old is he, and is he married?" Ellie asked with enthusiasm.

"I don't know the name yet. I think … yes, Rhonda said he was married with kids. The family moved here last week. Don't know much else. But I doubt he'll be as nice as Dr Cullen from when I was a kid. He was _gorgeous_. He had a beautiful wife and some totally dreamy sons. One of my best friends married his youngest son." A shadow crossed her face for a moment.

Ellie frowned. She didn't like seeing her gran sad.

"Come on, gran, let's go for our walk."

Every day, Jessica was supposed to do some strengthening exercises on her legs and was now able to walk to the café and back with help. Ellie always escorted her there. They had a coffee and walked back. At first, it had been in a wheelchair, but now her gran could walk with a walker. The nurses were hinting she would be released soon, as she was improving quickly.

While they sat in enjoying the coffee, Ellie told her gran about the shop and what was going on with her. Jenny, who managed the shop, said they were doing really well. They had taken on another Saturday helper.

While they were chatting, Ellie noticed her gran had gone silent. Turning around to see what she was staring at, Ellie spotted a blond doctor talking to some nurses in the corner of the café. He looked about twenty five, maybe thirty, and was totally gorgeous. She smiled back to her gran.

"So that's the dishy doctor I'm betting."

Jessica glanced at her granddaughter. She looked shaken.

"That is Doctor Carlisle Cullen, from back home. His son Edward married one of my best friends then killed her," she said in a frightened whisper.

"Oh, come on, gran. He can't possibly be the same man, that was over sixty years ago," Ellie said trying to calm her gran.

"I will _never_ forget that face," her gran whispered, a tear sparkling in her eye. "For all the angelic looks, that man is a monster who covered up my friend's murder."

"I left Forks right after her funeral. The whole family was standing around crying crocodile tears. Edward was pretending to be heartbroken, wailing and making an exhibition of himself. It just didn't ring true. He was promising to join her soon, begging her forgiveness. It was horrible. I didn't believe it for a second. His sisters looked far too smug, as though they were happy over it. The whole thing just left a nasty taste in the mouth. They left town straight after and so did I. I haven't heard from or seem them since, not that I expected to, but I won't _ever_ forget his face. That man is evil."

She was so insistent, so convincing, that Ellie felt compelled to believe her even when she knew it was impossible. Ellie felt a strange sensation of being watched tickle between her shoulder blades; it was not a pleasant feeling. Turning slowly, she saw the doctor in question was looking at them, a dark expression on his face. He couldn't possibly have heard them, he was at the other side of the room, but Ellie felt for a split second that he was listening. He got up quickly and left the room. The atmosphere instantly felt lighter.

"Maybe he's related to the doctor you remember, gran. But that man only looks in his late twenties. The doctor you knew would have to be over ninety."

Jessica looked at her granddaughter sadly. She knew in her heart it was Carlisle and yet she also knew Ellie was right, it couldn't possibly be.

"You are right, darling, it was just a shock. He looks so similar. Let's go back to my room."

The walk back was silent and strained. To Ellie, it was a sad revelation. For the first time in her life she was seeing her gran as she truly was, an eighty-one year old woman.

Jessica was locked in memories of Forks, and it was not a pleasant experience. She knew it was Carlisle and somehow he knew she knew. He had looked straight at her, his expression cold. It had frightened her. She had backed down to protect Eleyne. And of course, the logical part of her mind told her it could not possibly be him.

"Tell me about your friend, gran," Ellie asked once Jessica was tucked up in bed again.

"She was named Isabella Swan—Bella. She hadn't been at school very long, she moved up from Phoenix. We got on okay at first, but then she got involved with Edward Cullen and shut us all out. The Cullen family left for a few months after we started our senior year. She was really heartbroken and withdrawn, did some stupid things. I am ashamed to say I was a bit of a bitch to her." She gave an embarrassed laugh at that. "Then again, we were just kids, and I was pretty much a bitch to everyone. Edward and his family came back in the spring and finished school with us all. Bella and he got married almost straight away. I thought she must have been pregnant, but she wasn't. Just head over heels in love."

There were tears in her eyes again, remembering what she had been like in school. Ellie thought about the horrible kids she knew in school. No doubt most would grow into decent people just like she hoped she had.

"Bella died on their honeymoon. Apparently they had been swimming. She dived in and hit her head—died instantly. It was weird though. Her father-in-law went to collect her and did the autopsy even though her father, who was chief of police, insisted it be an independent. With Edward being her husband, he had the final say and completely shut Charlie out. The Cullens wouldn't even let her father see her body." She sounded scandalised.

"Anyhow, Charlie, her dad, told _my_ dad, that one of Bella's friends from the res broke into the funeral home. Jacob told Charlie there was no way she was killed by a fall and that Edward had killed her. Apparently, there were hand-print bruises and bite marks all over her—looked like she had been really viciously attacked. The Cullens argued that Jacob wouldn't know what he was talking about and insisted Charlie arrest Jake for breaking in. The guy from the funeral home said it was really strange, and he didn't think a fall had killed her either, but he was slapped with a slander charge and sacked. Charlie refused to speak to the Cullens and let Jake out of jail for the funeral. It was really uncomfortable. Like the town was taking sides, Cullens verses the rest. The Cullens insisted she be cremated even though Charlie wanted her buried next to her grandparents. My mam said it was so she couldn't be exhumed and re-examined. Instead, Charlie scattered her ashes there. The Cullens had left by then. They didn't even go to the wake. At least I stayed that long."

"I heard that later that Charlie drank himself to death. It was such a sad tale. She was so happy, so in love with everything to look forward to. It really shook me up at the time. I never forgot. I think Edward killed her. I just hope he burns in hell for all eternity."

Ellie was shocked to hear her talk like that. She had never known her gran to be malevolent. But to look in her eyes, she knew her grandmother meant every word.

Ellie felt it would be best to change the subject, so they talked a little longer about other things. Her gran seemed to cheer up again, but when Nurse Rhonda came in with her food, Rhonda mentioned the new doctor again and how handsome he was.

"What's his name?" Jessica asked slowly.

"Doctor Carlisle Hale." Rhonda replied.

"Hale. His daughter Rosalie was called Hale. She had a twin brother. James, or was it Jasper? No, Jasper. That was it," Jessica said thoughtfully almost to herself. "Carlisle is an unusual name. Maybe he _is_ related."

"How many children does he have? How old?" Ellie asked trying to distract her gran from melancholy thoughts. Gran always loved talking about kids.

"Apparently he has three teenage children, two boys and a girl. I understand they are adopted." Rhonda said with a smile before leaving the room.

"That's right" Jessica said. "The Cullen kids were all adopted as well."

Ellie smiled at her gran fondly. Her memory was still sharp. Then it occurred to her, how could the doctor look so similar to the one her gran knew if the children were adopted? That thought made a cold shudder run down her spine. None of the answers she could come up with were particularly pleasant. No, it was purely a coincidence. Perhaps he didn't really look like the other doctor at all, perhaps her gran just got confused. It would be the first time though.

Ellie tried to dismiss the feeling of impending doom that had settled over her as she said goodnight to her gran. She was just being silly. There was nothing to worry about. Her gran had been happy when she left. The nurses were pleased with her progress and were hinting Ellie might be able to take her home in a day or so, something she was greatly looking forward to.

Walking through the carpark toward her car Ellie was lost in her own thoughts mainly plans for getting a stair lift and the bathroom modifications she would need to accommodate her recuperating grandmother. She felt another unpleasant shiver between her shoulder blades and thought again that she was being watched. Turning abruptly she noticed Dr Hale standing by another car at the other end of the car park. He was talking to a blonde haired girl. Both were looking in her direction and it made Ellie uncomfortable, as though she were interrupting a conversation. The look the girl was giving her was ugly and Ellie turned back around quickly. She felt as if they were talking about her, but why on earth would they be? She hadn't felt this uncomfortable since eighth grade. Those few weeks when everyone in her class picked on her because she didn't have any parents alive. Even today the memory made Ellie hunch her shoulders and try to disappear.

But then she smiled. Her gran had saved her then without Ellie ever asking for help. She had come into the school and given a talk on her travels and the places she had visited. Suddenly Eleyne had been the coolest kid in the class, everyone was jealous that she had such a great grandmother and forgot about the fact she had no parents. Just like in every other way Ellie's gran had sorted the problem without making a song and dance about it. She just seemed to instinctively know what to do.

The drive back to her home seemed to go quicker that day. She stopped for Chinese on the way and sat on the sofa with her food and a glass of wine looking back to the past. Ellie was happily remembering the many happy times growing up. All the Easter Egg hunts, and the Halloween costumes. The carol singing and cosy nights in front of the fire, wrapped in blankets, drinking hot chocolate. Picnics, bike rides and adventures. Her gran could turn anything into an adventure. Ellie felt she had been gifted with an idyllic childhood perhaps made all the more special due to a lack of parents. It was with these happy memories going through her mind that she snuggled into bed at the end of what had been a long and trying day.

Her happy dreams were disturbed by the insistent shrill ring tone of her mobile that woke her at six in the morning. Not the usual music Ellie had for her alarm. But the persistent shriek of the ringtone she had set for the hospital, one she could not mistake for anything else and one she wouldn't ignore.

"Can I speak to Eleyne Standish?" Came the clinical voice at the other end of the phone in response to her sleep laden hello.

"Speaking" she answered sitting up and trying to get her brain to work properly.

"Miss Standish. I am afraid I must regretfully inform you your grandmother Jessica Standish passed away a few hours ago."


	2. Chapter 2

" _Miss Standish. I am afraid I must regretfully inform you your grandmother Jessica Standish passed away a few hours ago."_

"What?" Ellie stuttered into the phone, trying to focus on the conversation and at the same time almost certain she was simply having a nightmare. "What do you mean passed away? She was getting better. She was coming home soon."

"I am sorry Miss Standish, I realise this has come as a terrible shock. Your grandmother suffered a heart attack in the night and we were unable to revive her."

"Unable.. I don't understand. She was getting better. She was coming home." Ellie was repeating herself in her desperate attempts to get her mind to come to grips with the information she had just received. Her gran couldn't be dead, she couldn't be gone.

"I am so sorry Miss Standish. Please come to the hospital at your earliest convenience. Goodbye."

Ellie's whispered 'goodbye' was probably never heard by the other person. They had already hung up. The phone slid out of her hand and fell to the floor. She just sat staring disbelieving into space. Her face a picture of shock, her mind filled with only two words.

Gran – Dead.

With a heart wrenching sob she slid from her bed to join her phone on the floor. Wrapping her shaking arms around her raised knees and hugging herself fiercely as though fearing she would be ripped apart by the strength of the heartbreak she felt. Tears streaming from her eyes unchecked she rocked herself back and forth while keening her mournful wail heavenward.

How long she stayed like that Ellie couldn't tell, but eventually the tears lessened and the cold and stiff condition of her body brought her back to some form of self-awareness. Rising carefully her joints creaking in protest at having to move after being stationery for so long. A cold numbness had settled over her as she mechanically made some coffee and stared blankly out of the window onto the garden, the garden her gran loved. That set off another round of tears until she just sat staring blankly at the wall.

The sun began to blaze through the kitchen window Ellie could feel it's burning warmth on her back, she could see her shadow cast large across the room. Outside she could hear birds chirping merrily to one another completely oblivious to the tragedy that had unfolded just mere feet away. This began to make her angry.

"How dare the sun shine today! How dare the birds sing!"

Fury burned within her threatening to erupt like the lava from a volcano. Her hand began to tremble, scrunching her eyes tight shut she began to fume quietly.

The smash of her mug hitting the wall brought her back to her senses with a jolt. Reality began to dawn on her. She couldn't just sit there and feel sorry for herself, there were things she needed to do. The sudden realisation that her gran would be disappointed she was falling apart hit her like a ton of bricks, knocking her breathless. Leaving her doubled over gulping air into her lungs, great sobbing wails coming from her. She had no idea how she was going to get through this alone. Struggling to regain some form of composure Ellie made herself another drink and forced herself to drink it. She made herself run through conversations she had had with her grandmother in her mind, when they had discussed funeral wants and no no's. For instance Ellie knew without doubt that flowers were out. Plants were in. Her gran had mentioned a 'living arrangement'.

"I want to be the only dead thing in the room." She had tartly said one time.

Drying her tears and breathing deeply in an effort to pull herself together she decided that she might as well get on with it. Ellie dug out the number of the funeral directors who had dealt with her granddads ceremony and called it. That phone call brought on a fresh bout of tears but she got through it and felt better about herself for at least starting the process. All she had to do now was get herself dressed and presentable and go to the hospital, and that was going to be hard.

The visit to the hospital had been just as bad as she anticipated. What with the paperwork that needed signing, collecting her grans belongings and trying to track down a necklace that had gone missing. It was an silver and amethyst teardrop shaped pendant that she had bought in Malta the same time she met Ellie's grandfather. Jessica rarely took it off. It was found eventually under the bed, the chain was snapped. This made Ellie weep anew. The thought that her gran had been thrashing around enough to do that was deeply upsetting to her, as was the knowledge that no one had noticed. She wanted to rage against the hospital, insist on investigations, she wanted someone to blame and yet she knew deep down no one was.

Some of the nurses were visibly upset, as were the doctors. That didn't help Ellie trying to keep it together. She caught a glimpse of her refection in the windows of the doctor's office. Her hair was greasy, dragged back into a pony tail. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, nose red and swollen, pale almost grey pallor, she looked ill and like she had been dragged through a hedge backwards but couldn't care less. She knew her gran would give her hell for not making an effort but again on this occasion she wasn't bothered.

No one could explain what had happened other than a sudden turn for the worse. The preliminary investigations showed nothing, no negligence, nothing suspicious, nothing. In the end her doctor stated simply.

"She was fairly old. The elderly can quickly take ill and when they do it is often serious."

She was old. That thought churned around in Ellie's head for days after. It was no excuse. Yes she was old but she had always been healthy, she was getting better. With no one to blame her fury at the injustice of her gran being taken from her turned inwards. Unable to find an outlet Ellie let it smoulder away inside, never letting it show how angry she really was, how hurt and devastated. Her fury at any happiness in others often left her unable to speak in fear of an outburst she would regret. Even her grandmother herself was not except from Ellie's fury. She raged against her in the quiet of the night, demanding answers that would never come, expecting an apology or a reason.

'How could you die? How could you leave me?'

And even as she raged she knew it was unfair. Her gran would never have chosen to leave her.

The next few days were spent with calls and visits to lawyers, florists and friends. It kept her busy but did nothing to ease the ache inside her, or to dampen the feelings of utter loneliness and devastation she frequently felt. Friends turned out in droves to help, they came with food and words of comfort. Or just with cards of sympathy and company, to stop her dwelling on her loss. They also came to attend the funeral. It turned out to be a huge affair that her grandmother would have loved. Jessica had always enjoyed being the centre of attention. Many from the hospital attended, even her grans old publishers in New York sent a representative. There were so many people there Ellie couldn't possibly know them all, but it warmed her heart to know her gran had been so well loved and in the end it did help to thaw a little of the recently formed ice around it.

Eventually as time passed, the days turned into weeks which turned into months, a sense of acceptance gradually crept its way stealthily into Ellie's being. Christmas had come and gone with barely a ripple of acknowledgement on her part. The New Year had been welcomed in with anger and frustration. And yet as winter thawed into spring the sorrow, which at times had been almost crippling in its intensity, lessened. With new life springing up all around her Ellie could not help but begin to see joy in some things again. She no longer flinched away from happy memories but embraced them; she stopped raging at the loneliness and grief but dealt with it. She caught herself smiling and even laughing on occasion without the accompanied guilt she had forced upon herself. She even found she could remember happy times again with wistful fondness and allowed herself to look with anticipation to what the future may now hold for her again.

The future. There was a question in itself. Ellie had no idea what she was going to do with herself now. She had spent the last few months just going through the motions of trying to exist. She had thrown herself into the bookshop and almost steadfastly ignored the house. The garden of which her grandmother had been so proud was now overgrown and disorganised, the house dusty and untidy with several rooms never entered these days.

One day however as the spring sunshine warmed the earth Ellie took her coffee outside for the first time since her grans passing. It used to be her favourite thing to do, watching the garden thrive with activity as she mentally prepared herself for the coming day and ran through her 'to do' list. Looking around at the weeds drowning the delicate spring flowers and the grass long and straggly after months of neglect she sighed, knowing it was all her fault and also knowing it was too much for her to handle herself she berated herself for having been so weak. She had allowed things to get on top of her, she had allowed herself to stop caring and worst of all she had allowed herself to stop living. But this morning everything felt so fresh and new, so bright and happy that Eleyne just knew she could start to move forward, to put the past months behind her and look to her future as her grandmother would have wanted. Smiling up to the sky she sent a silent vow to the heavens. Clichéd as it was today was the first day of the rest of her live and she promised her grandmother and herself that she was going to live it to its fullest.

Going back inside she called Jenny and told her she wouldn't be in for the next few days, then firing up her laptop she searched for local gardeners. With that sorted she rolled up her sleeves both physically and metaphorically and started on the rooms she had left closed. While she cleaned, washed and polished she remembered. Every item she touched brought back another memory, most happy but some sad and Ellie embraced them all. The act of cleaning in its self was amazingly cathartic and as the day wore on she found her heavy heart becoming lighter and lighter. By the end of the day she was exhausted but happy. There were boxes of things ready to be stored in the attic. The whole place had a clean, fresh feeling throughout. She had decided to re-decorate a few rooms and was going to update the furniture as well. Phone calls had been made to a sale room to collect some of the larger items and a decorator was coming in the morning to discuss colours and give her a quote. There was only one room left, her grandmother's bedroom. She would tackle that tomorrow and hopefully exorcise her last remaining demons.

Going out first thing the next morning Ellie returned with arms laden with flowers. She filled vases and jugs in almost every room allowing the sweet scents to pervade the house with a welcoming perfume. The painters visit had been brief but productive, he was starting next week the whole house was going to get a re-fresh in bright cheerful colours. The saleroom was collecting on Monday so she was going shopping the next day, Ellie hoped that by the end of next week the house would feel like a new home to her. Heading up the stairs she paused momentarily in front of the photograph of her with both her mother and grandmother. It was taken the day she came home from the hospital as a baby. They were smiling down and infant Ellie with looks of adoration on their faces. They had been completely unaware Bill was taking the picture. It was a beautiful candid moment and it made her smile. She hoped her gran would understand her motivations behind her sudden drive to rejuvenate and change. She wasn't trying to remove her gran from the house but trying to make it her own. She wanted to move forward positively without being faced with the past at every turn. She wanted to be able to live in the house as happily as she once had and felt that this was the best way for her to do that. Deep down she knew Jessica would have understood.

Taking a deep breath she turned away from the picture toward the door. Stealing herself mentally she opened the door and entered her grans bedroom for the first time since her death. She wandered slowly around the room, opening the windows and letting in the light. She gently ran her fingers over the knick-knacks and trinkets that covered almost every available surface. Each held a fond memory for her grandmother and Ellie knew the stories behind each and every one. Jessica had loved clutter; she adored being surrounded by her past. Ellie preferred order, she liked to remember but wanted to look forward, nothing however would be thrown away. With great care she dusted and reverently packed away the majority of the items. Her personal favourites were going to her room or downstairs. The clothes were bagged up to send to charity and the jewellery was moved into Ellie's room as well. While the majority of it wasn't to her personal taste she couldn't bring herself to part with any or to pack it away so for now it was hers.

As she reached the end of her allotted task Ellie found a large box at the back of the wardrobe under a pile of clothes. Dragging it out with difficulty she knelt of the floor to open it. Inside was a treasure trove, at least in her eyes. The box contained diaries that covered almost her grans entire life. Thumbing through the top one it was from two years ago. Ellie remembered that there had been a diary amongst her grans things that she got back from the hospital. That was on a bookshelf downstairs. But this box held all of the years prior. It would be a great base to start her book from. With a shriek of delight Ellie realised she had decided what she was going to do. She was going to write the book she had always dreamed of writing. She was going to put her grans life story to paper for the world to read.

With giddy anticipation she finished cleaning the room and dragged the bags and boxes out to be dealt with tomorrow. Hauling the box of diaries downstairs she grabbed some food and a note book and settled at the table to start.

She quickly skipped through the years she knew about, but was saddened to find her gran had thought about her father a lot more than she let on. She was amazed by the strength of emotion expressed at her mother's passing. Gran had truly loved Sarah. While Ellie had always know that fact she was surprised to read just how much. The hours passed quickly and eventually she fell asleep where she sat with a pen still clutched tightly in her grasp.

She was woken the next morning to the sound of birds singing outside and the feel of the sun warming her face. All plans of shopping were quickly forgotten as she looked down at the mountain of notes she had written and the pile of diaries she had read. No shopping could wait till tomorrow, this was far more important. Rushing to shower and get herself some caffeine she began reading where she had left off. By late morning she had reached the point where her eyes were starting to cross from tiredness and the words were blurring into one another. Taking a break for lunch she decided that rushing this was not a good idea. If she was to do her gran justice she needed to be methodical and thorough so she decided to go furniture shopping and call in at the book shop after all.

The rest of her day was very productive. She had agreed with Jenny that she would reduce the number of days she was in the shop to two. This would allow her the time to work on her book and give someone else a part time job. The furniture she bought was modern and comfortable and Ellie was looking forward to seeing it in the house. She felt it would give the place the lift she needed. She was determined to put her own stamp on the place. It was to be her home and her family's home, she hoped, for the foreseeable future so she needed to get it right. She was looking to the future with hopeful eyes and for the first time didn't feel guilty about it.

After getting home and eating some food. She decided to put the boxes in the attic. It made her sad as well as relieved. Sad because she felt disloyal, like she was packing her gran up and locking her away. And relieved because she knew it was what needed to happen to allow her to move forward. It helped her enormously to remember that it was exactly what her gran did when granddad died. She packed up his things and stored them away, moving forward but never forgetting.

Their attic was like an Aladdin's cave of memories. Everywhere she looked were boxes of children toys, books and photographs. There were pictures stacked against one wall, old computers and DVD players as well as stacks of DVD's and CD's. Then there were other boxes labelled, Bill, Sarah and John, her father. Now there were Jessica boxes, but there were already Jessica boxes up there. Unable to resist temptation she stacked the boxes she had brought up and sitting on the floor pulled the first box towards her.

Inside this one were clothes, books and photo albums, namely things she had used at Uni. The clothes were teeny tiny skirts and tight tops. The photos were what looked like a series of drunken nights in various night clubs. Her gran looked vivacious and happy. It made Ellie blush thinking of her gran wearing those clothes but then again she never knew her gran as a young woman. It also made her smile, she had always known her gran had lived life to the fullest, but it surprised her to realise that she only thought of her gran as middle-aged when she quite clearly had been young once. She had never seen her as old though. In another box were more books and A4 files filled with her university work. Ellie was tempted to look through it but stopped. She had time.

The last box was filled with her grandmothers high school yearbooks, exercise books and of course photo's. There were loads of her at high school with a bunch of kids. On the back of one was written: 'Mike, Angela, Eric, Ben, Lauren, Tyler me and Bella.'

"So one of you girls is Bella." Ellie mused to herself. She recognised her gran but as she had boys next to her on both sides she couldn't tell which one was Bella. For a long time Ellie started at the photo trying to guess who was who. Her gran never told her what Bella looked like and never described any of the others. After a time she put it aside and looked through the remaining ones. Prom with Mike apparently. One of Angela and Ben so she could rule out that girl as Bella. Then she found some of her gran's graduation. There were no names on these just pictures. Ellie flicked through them with a smile but the last one stopped her. Her blood ran cold, her heart began to pound and her hand started to shake.

"No, it can't be." Ellie looked around her in panic, a cold trickle of terror ran down her spine as she could hardly believe her eyes. It couldn't be true and yet there it was in colour. There in the corner of the very last picture was the smiling, handsome face of Dr Carlisle Hale.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for all the reviews.**

 **On with the story...**

 _There in the corner of the very last picture was the smiling, handsome face of Dr Carlisle Hale._

Ellie's body began to shake, her breathing fast and erratic a cold trickle of terror ran down her spine. It was him, it had to be and yet how could it be?

"No, it's not possible." But the more she looked the more certain she became. This was the man she had seen at the hospital that day. The one that had looked at her with such contempt, the man her grandmother had accused of murder!

"Oh God! No" she gasped as her hand shot to her mouth as though to stop the thoughts in her head taking flight from her mouth.

"No" she thought again desperately. "No it's not possible, it's just coincidence. They just look alike."

'Scarily, eerily alike. Too alike' she thought with a shudder. Shaking her head to stop the terrifying thoughts she tried to think rationally.

But the thoughts in her mind would not be stilled, they ran riot, gaining speed taking over all others. She tried desperately to get them in some kind of order. Gathering the box she made her way down stairs and got herself a large glass of wine. Then routed through the diaries for the ones that covered High School. Armed with them, the photos and a note book she began to jot down everything she could remember.

Her gran had said that the doctor she knew had adopted children, so did Dr Hale. She had also said Hale was the name of two of his children a boy and a girl if Ellie was remembering correctly.

Both doctors were called Carlisle and were very good looking, very similar looking, she added. That left two, possibly three options.

One - that it was all just a complete coincidence.

Two - that Dr Cullen had had a relationship with his adopted daughter resulting in a child, then grandchild at least, judging by the ages. That thought made her shudder.

"Dirty pervert." She thought.

Lastly and possibly the most disturbing was the thought that it was somehow the same man. That impossibly he had not aged in sixty odd years and had moved to Littleton where her grandmother had recognised him. That idea led to other disturbing possibilities. It made her suspect that if this was indeed the case then it was possible he had somehow overheard their conversation which led her to the inevitable but wholly unwelcome conclusion that he had killed her grandmother to protect his secret.

"But that's just not possible." She said to herself again. But now she had actually allowed the thought a voice it would not be silenced. She couldn't believe her rational mind was entertaining such thoughts but she could not let it go.

Perhaps it was more to do with her need to have someone she could blame for her grans death that she latched onto that ridiculous theory. But Ellie didn't believe in coincidences and her second idea didn't sit well with her, even though she did acknowledge it was the most likely answer. For some reason the idea it was the same man just stuck, after all her gran had been so very certain it was him, this Dr Cullen. Ellie had had the feeling he was listening at the time, he had undoubtedly looked angrily in their direction. Her gran had certainly still got a sharp mind up until her death, her memory was still good. Ellie had even acknowledged at the time that if her gran was confused it would be the first time.

Feeling that if she spoke to him she would be able to dislodge the idea of Dr Hale being 'immortal' she decided to call the hospital and find out when he was next on shift.

"I would like to speak to Dr Hale please." Ellie asked as politely as possible while desperately trying to keep the anxiety from showing in her voice.

"I am afraid Dr Hale no longer works at this hospital." Came the robotic response from the hospital administrator she had eventually been put through to.

"Oh I am sorry" she replied. "When did he leave? Do you know where he moved to?"

"He resigned several months ago and I believe he moved to Florida. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No thank you, sorry to have taken your time." Ellie's reply was confused and disappointed. He had left the hospital not long after her gran died by the sounds of it and moved to Florida? Why? He had only been there a short time, a month or so at the most. It was odd that he would move on so quickly, unless something important had caused the move. She decided to research hospitals in the Florida area and searched the staff lists for his name. Nothing came up. Ellie knew of course that that didn't necessarily mean he didn't work in one of them, or that he hadn't left there as well.

Not really expecting results she decided to do a general search for Carlisle Cullen. There were several hits about a town in England and a town in Pennsylvania but on the third page was a link to a newspaper article about the death of Bella Swan-Cullen.

It was along the same lines as what her grandmother had told her minus the gossip of course. It reported she was killed by misadventure on her honeymoon, diving head first into a rock. The rumours of bites and bruises were not mentioned. But her husband's 'display of overwhelming grief' was. It was clinical and factual, giving nothing away. The fact she was cremated at her husband express wish was pointed out as was the fact the Cullen family left town directly after the service. Dr Cullen was quoted as saying:

"It will be impossible for my son to heal here."

There were pictures of Bella and her father as well as one of her wedding. The guy she had married was incredibly good looking, pale with odd coloured eyes he was smiling but in Ellie's mind he had an arrogant demeanour, perhaps it was just that her opinion was coloured by what she had heard. Was he a murderer this Edward Cullen? She looked at the face again trying to read the truth but drew a blank. She had no idea what to think.

Digging out the diary that covered that year Eleyne settled down in an arm chair to read it. It was filled with the usual teenaged angst. Her grandmothers depression over Mike Newton who wasn't interested in her but wanted Bella. Her feelings over the Cullens leaving, how she thought Bella was being a drama queen.

'People break up all the time, honestly you would think he had died the way she is moping about.'

She had written. Ellie smiled to herself at the 'catty' tone. Her gran had admitted she used to be a bitch. She described in detail how Bella had started doing stupid things, 'attention seeking bitch' was the comment that stuck out. Then the Cullens returned, Bella and Edward got back together and they all graduated.

Jessica's diary reported how Jacob had been hurt in a bike accident then run away when Bella announced she was getting married. She described the wedding in great detail, the dress, cake, guests etc. It was:

'really extravagant, every girls dream. The Cullens really like flashing the cash.'

She did however mention that it was not what she would have expected from Bella, in fact it was nothing like her personality at all. Her gran had also noted that Bella didn't look pregnant, yet!

There were several pages detailing her and Lauren bitching about it and how Mike hadn't paid her any attention at all, in fact he had been besotted by some of the Cullen families cousins, and why did all the guys have to choose Bella over her. She moaned that Angela had also gotten engaged just after the wedding, not that Jessica wanted to be tied down or so she claimed.

Then came the entries covering Bella's death and funeral. There was genuine grief on those pages. It appeared to come as a huge wake up call, one line stood out to Ellie:

'I didn't realise just how bitchy and immature I have been, Lauren too. God I'm surprised I have any friends at all.'

The funeral was described in great detail and very similar to how her gran had described it in the hospital. Ellie could almost feel the tension as her gran described how one of the boys from the 'Res' had to be held back from attacking Edward. She also described how devastated Bella's parents looked, how her father refused to acknowledge the Cullen family at all.

As Ellie gave in for the night and went to bed she reflected on what she had learned. The whole thing seemed surreal and odd but not unbelievable. Of course the husband would be devastated; he had just lost his young, pretty wife of two weeks whom he presumably loved very much. It was logical that his family would want to get away from all the memories as soon as possible in order to help him. It even seemed acceptable to her that the people of the town had blamed the husband for Bella's death, after all if not for him she would still be alive. But to accuse him of murder seemed a stretch, even if the rumoured bite marks and bruises were true. But then again grief makes you think funny things and desperately need someone to blame as she could well attest. One thing that was clear to Ellie though was that it was a turning point for her grandmother. She grew up almost overnight, the whole tone and expression in her diaries changed. It had obviously had a profound effect on the young Jessica.

The next morning dawned clear and bright and with it brought resolution to Ellie. She had made several decisions over night and felt better for having something to aim and drive for. She was going to write her book, she was going to investigate her grandmothers life and death and while she was at it she would find out what really happened to Bella Swan and also just who the hell Dr Carlisle Hale / Cullen really was. If it turned out he was involved in her grans death then she was going to get revenge. She felt she owed it to her gran to find the truth.

A quick internet search that morning had flights booked to Forks, Washington for later that day, it also gave her a list of places and people to visit. She made arrangements with Jenny about the shop and the deliveries to the house, grabbed her grans high school diaries and a couple of others, her notebooks, the photos and some clothes and headed out to the airport. She got to the airport with an hour to spare, her enthusiasm and drive hadn't ebbed, if anything it was stronger than ever. She was looking forward to this 'adventure.' It did occur to Ellie that it could be dangerous, If she proved Dr Hale was a killer or worse an 'immortal' she could very well be in grave danger but it didn't dissuade her, no matter what the danger she was going to see this through.

The eight hour flight to Seattle gave her plenty of time to think and read. She read the diary from when Jessica met her grandfather David. There was even a picture of them in it and some letters from him. It made Ellie confused, her grandmother had always claimed he was just a one night stand but clearly he was more than that, why did she lie? Looking at the photo Ellie could agree he was certainly handsome, she could see some similarities between herself and him namely the eyes, she had her grandfather's eyes and that made her smile broadly. Ellie couldn't understand why her gran hadn't put the picture on display. She put so many others up. As she continued reading the pages she began to learn the reason.

"I never thought I believed in love at first sight but now I do. He is the one I just know it.

David.

I can't believe it, he's only here for a few more days then he goes back."

As she continued to read her cheeks started to heat up. She came to the uncomfortable conclusion that if her grandmother hadn't decided on a career as a travel writer she could have made a good living as a porn writer. In part it made Ellie jealous; she had never known passion and love like that. Her sexual encounters had been fumbling and dissatisfying, not the all-encompassing ecstasy her gran wrote about. She could only hope that one day she knew such love.

Ellie had been sceptical that her grandfather felt the same way, after all he was a squaddie on leave before returning to Afghanistan, he was probably just after a bit of fun, but as she read the letters he had written it appeared he had been hit by the thunderbolt as well. Jessica's despondency after he went back leapt from the pages, as did the joy when she got a call or letter. But then just six weeks later came the call from a friend that she dreaded. He had been killed in action.

As Ellie read onwards she learned that David's family rejected Jessica. The refused to accept the child as his saying Jessica was just a cheap slut looking for a hand out. They never saw Ellie's father and had no contact with them ever. Jessica wrote how she locked away the hurt and concentrated on her son. It all made Ellie understand her grandmother a little more. It explained why she never put the picture on display, why she helped Sarah so much and her heartbreak over her son's leaving, at being deserted again. Ellie wept for her gran and for herself. She wished with all her heart she had known the man her gran had loved that much. Not that she didn't still treasure her memories of Bill, she just wished, maybe her dad wouldn't have left, maybe she wouldn't be so alone now.

Stopping her little pity party in its tracks with a shake of her head Ellie packed her things away as the plane was landing. She berated herself mentally as she collected her bags, her life had been good, she had been loved and happy. She wouldn't be alone forever. Quickly making her way through the airport she stopped to collect her hire car and then drove out towards Port Angeles. Stopping only to eat and buy a bottle of wine she got to her motel late in the evening. The room was clean and modern but basic. She sank wearily into the crisp white sheets and was very soon fast asleep.

The next morning she wandered to a nearby diner for breakfast and called the retirement home she had found on line to make an appointment to speak to one of the residents. Angela Cheney nee Weber no lived there. It had been pure chance that Ellie had found her yesterday during her internet search of Forks. She had been the head teacher at Forks High School for twenty years before her retirement and there was a news report from last year covering her eightieth birthday party which had been held at the school, it had been a huge affair for the town.

The call Ellie made to the retirement home was short and sweet. Mrs Cheney was happy to see her that afternoon so Ellie spent the morning going through her things, deciding what questions to ask and what to take with her. In the end she decided on the photos of Jessica's high school days and some others of her grans life and family. She found herself to be really looking forward to it.

Angela Cheney was easily recognisable to Ellie and according to Angela she looked very like her gran had which pleased her a great deal. She had a calm friendly personality that instantly put Ellie at ease. She was eloquent and charming and Ellie really enjoyed their conversation. She was confined to a wheelchair and had been for three years following an accident where she was hit by a passing car and her spine was severely damaged. It was because of that accident Angela was in the home. She bore the driver no ill will and had a philosophical outlook which Ellie found herself admiring greatly.

They chatted for quite some time about Angela's life and family, her husband had died five years ago and their children lived in Boston and Utah. She was not resentful or unhappy though she did seem wistful that she got so few visitors. Her daughter was apparently was trying to get her to move to Boston and Angela was thinking seriously about it but Forks was her home and a big move at this point in her life was scary. She had been delighted though to hear about Jessica's life, her travelling, her husbands and her constant need for gossip.

"Some things never change then." Angela had commented. She was not surprised at all that Jessica had been married so many times and was happy to recount tales of her growing up. The descriptions of Mike Newton varied from the ones in Jessica's diaries. But as Angela said;

"She was absolutely besotted with him."

When Ellie remarked that her gran had admitted to being something of a bitch Angela just smiled tenderly and claimed that none of them were saints growing up,

"but we all grew out of it eventually."

She had even found some photos of Jessica as a child which she gave to Ellie with a fond smile. Ellie made a lot of notes and was given loads of anecdotes to use in her book.

Eventually the conversation turned towards Bella Swan and the Cullens. Angela recounted the story of their love affair and subsequent wedding. The news of her friend's death had hit her hard as well. The funeral was described in much the same detail as Ellie had heard before although Angela said Jasper and Alice, two of the children had looked disgusted with the rest of the family and kept themselves apart. She did comment on the haste with which they had left town saying she felt it was disrespectful to Bella's memory.

The only other interesting thing she remembered was that the man who worked in the funeral home, Frank Thompson, the one the Cullens had had sacked was killed about a week after the funeral. He was apparently drunk and had driven into a tree. Angela remembered her father had been distraught by this news. He had known Frank for years, they had worked together and Frank had been devoted member of her father's congregation. According to her father Frank had never drunk alcohol in his life and he found it very difficult to believe he had been drinking on that occasion.

Ellie felt herself grow cold, it seemed too much of a coincidence that he had died so soon after the funeral and in suspicious circumstances. Especially after he claimed Bella's body showed unusual things. She looked around quickly half expecting to see Dr Hale slide out of the shadows to kill Angela.

Ellie began to panic. What if they knew she was asking questions? What if they did kill Angela? What if she was responsible for her death?

'No!' She almost shouted in her mind. She was not going to assume responsibility for someone else's actions. She had no reason to suspect they even knew she was here.

'Calm down you fool.' she berated herself mentally as Angela continued her tale oblivious to Ellie's minor meltdown.

"My gran mentioned a boy, Jacob Black I think he was called, apparently he broke into the funeral home. What happened to him? Do you know?" Ellie asked trying to keep the dread out of her voice. If he had died soon after the funeral she knew it was no coincidence.

"He ran away." Angela answered sadly. "He was very much in love with Bella but she only saw him as a friend or brother. The people of the reservation had some sort of vendetta against the Cullens and he, like the rest, hated Edward with a passion. He ran away when he heard about her wedding but came back in time to attend, I saw him dancing with Bella at the reception. Her death broke his heart, he took it so very hard. After the funeral he left town and never came back. I don't know if anyone ever heard from him again."

Ellie supressed a shudder of fear. So the rival had disappeared as well. It didn't look good for the Cullens, or her if they ever found out.

"What was the vendetta?" She asked conversationally. "It seems strange for a whole town to dislike a family who had just moved here."

"The Cullens moved to Forks from Alaska, they had family there I think. I don't know why but I understand the res's dislike was based on their legends. Something to do with natural enemies. At least that's what I overheard once when we were surfing down on La Push beach."

Her mind started to race, Quileute Legends, natural enemies. She could research that. Alaska – her gran had been there twice and loved it she had written two books about the area so it would give Ellie an excuse to go up there and poke around. Someone somewhere had to know something, Ellie knew that asking questions would possibly draw the attention of the Cullen family but it was also the only way to get the answers she needed.

It was over an hour later when she left Angela with the promise she would visit again before she left town. Driving back to her motel she passed the town cemetery and making a spur of the moment decision went in. She wandered aimlessly along the rows of headstones for about half an hour. Thinking about what she could do next. Could she get a copy of the autopsy report? It might be possible, maybe there would be some pictures, that would either confirm or discredit the rumours she had heard. Tomorrow she would try the police, courts and library to see what she could dig up.

As she walked through the neat rows of graves along the neatly manicured grass broken with the occasional bunch of flowers, she read the family names. Some she recognised from her recent conversations and reading but passed them by until she saw 'Stanley' and then 'Mother of Jessica.' So this was her great grandmother. She smiled and paused promising to return with flowers but soon continued her search. She eventually found the name she was looking for. Isabella and Charles Swan shared a head stone beside those of Charles's parents and grandparents by the look of it.

"What happened to you Bella? Did he kill you? Did his father kill my gran?" She paused and looked around as a sudden feeling of unease had settled over her. Shaking her head she looked back down at the stone.

"I hope you are at peace now, both of you. I ask you to understand why I have to do this. Forgive me please if it is needed, but I have to do this, I have to know and I have to make sure they are punished."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for all the reviews. Thanks also to GeezerWench for her help with the 'Language of Flowers.'**

" _I hope you are at peace now, both of you. I ask you to understand why I have to do this. Forgive me please if it is needed, but I have to do this, I have to know and I have to make sure they are punished."_

With those parting words Ellie walked out of the cemetery and back to her car. She shook herself to try and dislodge the feeling of unease she still had but it stayed with her throughout the evening. She had another aim as well now, to find out what happened to Jacob Black. She noted down a list of those she believed killed by the Cullens. Bella Swan, Frank Thompson, Jacob Black and her gran. They may not have killed Charlie Swan but they were responsible for his death as well.

As she wrote this she realised that she now fully accepted that Dr Hale and Dr Cullen were the same person and that somehow he hadn't aged in the last sixty years. She laughed at herself. How could it be possible? Every rational argument told her it wasn't but still she could see her grans eyes in her memory. She had been scared, she had been certain. It was enough to convince Ellie.

Searching the internet for Quileute legends she found an old book store nearby. She intended to call there in the morning and get a couple of books. She wanted to see La Push beach for herself as well, her gran had always enjoyed being there and commented about the 'fit guys' that came from there. She thought they must have something special in the water in La Push. Ellie half-heartedly wondered if there were still loads of hot men down there, could be fun.

The bookshop was not the dusty, old shop with a musty smell that she imagined it was bright and airy with a cheerful young girl behind the counter. Ellie took her time perusing the shelves and eventually chose two books containing the legends and history of the tribe. She decided to get a coffee in the shop across the road and start reading at once.

"Interested in the Quileute legends are you?" The girl, her name tag said Leah, asked.

"Yes very. I am researching a book and I wanted to learn more." She didn't want to say too much. "Are you Quileute?"

"Yes, born and raised. What book?"

"My grandmother lived in Forks and mentioned the tribe a lot in her journals." Ellie gave a smile at her little white lie. Her gran had certainly mentioned the hoy guys. "I am writing her life story and wanted to look into this a little more. I was planning to go to 'First Beach' this afternoon. She spent quite a bit of time there I understand."

Leah smiled brightly.

"I bet my grandfather was around then, might have even known your gran. I can call him if you like you could maybe visit him."

"Oh wow! That would be fantastic if he wouldn't mind. I'd love to speak to him. What's his name, she might have mentioned him."

"Seth, Seth Clearwater. I'll call him right now. What's your name?"

Ellie provided the necessary information and waited on tender hooks while Leah called her grandfather. Jessica hadn't mentioned Seth, but then again she hadn't mentioned many names only Jacob Black.

"He will see you at three." Leah came back with a smile. "Here is the address. He said he doesn't remember your gran but they may have had mutual friends. And he is happy to speak to you about the legends. He is a tribal Elder you know."

Ellie was impressed as she was obviously supposed to be.

"Should I take a gift? What would he like?"

"Gifts aren't necessary don't worry. But if you wanted to get him something he does like a drop of good whisky every now and then." She smiled conspiratorially. Ellie smiled back and thanked her profusely before leaving the shop.

As she exited she was suddenly overcome with a feeling of disquiet similar to the sensation in the graveyard, but this was a busy street and it was apparently a rare sunny day. She couldn't understand why she was feeling this way. Deciding to ignore it she headed to the coffee shop as planned and began to read the books she bought while making notes on what to ask Seth. Very soon she was immersed in a world of cold ones and spirit warriors, revenge and sacrifice. They were fantastic tales which made her think of the Arthurian Legends for some reason, with all their mist and magic. Witches, wizards and evil deeds as well as selfless sacrifice and love.

Ellie arrived in La Push at about two in the afternoon. She walked along the beach and imagined the surf parties and bonfires that would have been held there. But found her mind was drawn to another era when wolves and men walked side by side and fought together in defence of their homes. Sitting on a driftwood log that looked like it had been there forever she tried to clear her mind and focus. Somehow she knew that Seth could give her some of the answers she needed, but she would have to be careful how she asked the questions. Every instinct within her said that if Seth was privy to such secrets he would not give them up easily. She had bought a bottle of the best whisky she could find in hopes of sweetening him up. When the time came she reluctantly left her perch and headed in the direction of the address she had been given. All the while the feeling of disquiet remained with her, it was unsettling, distracting even. But Ellie put it down to the fact she knew what she was doing could have dangerous consequences.

Seth was a friendly, happy old man with long white hair and wrinkly features that Ellie liked on sight. He had a relaxed, jovial nature which immediately put Ellie at ease. He smiled broadly and chatted away cheerfully about his life and the tribe. He was pleased with the whisky and happily discussed the tribal legends, but he never veered from what was in the books and gave her no additional information, stating that the books were very well written.

When the subject of her gran was broached he confirmed he didn't know her by name but did recognise the photo Ellie brought with her as someone he had seen around.

"Perhaps you saw her at Bella Swan's wedding?" Ellie queried "She wrote about that in her diary and was very impressed with it all."

"Yes well it was a very grand affair." He murmured with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yes, Gran wrote it was not what she would have thought Bella would want. Did you know Bella? Or perhaps Jacob Black? Gran mentioned him quite a lot too." She held her breath hoping he would give her something.

"Yes I knew both Bella and Jacob very well in fact." He said after a brief pause. "Bella wasn't the extravagant kind but she made her choice, and the Cullens were very happy to flaunt their wealth. She seemed to very much enjoy her day." His answer was guarded; his voice had lost some of the warmth it had had.

"You were at the wedding? Did you see her dancing with Jacob? Do you know what happened to him? Angela Weber told me he vanished after the funeral, did he ever come home?"

"Yes I saw them dance; it was a wedding after all there was a lot of dancing. I even danced with my mother." Seth laughed at the memory but the merriment didn't quite reach his eyes. "Jacob followed his own path. I believe he would contact his father occasionally but I don't think he ever recovered from her death." He said in almost a whisper, he wouldn't look her in the eyes. Ellie got the distinct impression he was lying.

"I am sorry my dear but I am rather tired."

"Of course, sorry to have kept you." Ellie immediately stood, she knew when she was being dismissed. "Thank you for your time, it was very kind of you to see me." She reached forward to shake his hand and was surprised by the firm grip.

"Be careful child. The questions you are asking will point you on a dangerous path. Are you sure you are prepared for the answers you will receive?"

He looked into Ellie's eyes and for a split second she thought she saw yellow flash through the dark brown that was there. She knew he was saying more, that he was aware why she had asked what she did.

Feeling an unexplainable compulsion to trust him she whispered sadly as she met his intense gaze.

"Carlisle Cullen murdered my grandmother and I am going to make him pay for it."

"Then be warned child, you are on a very perilous journey. I will pray the spirts watch over you, and that your grandmother may rest in peace. But are you truly prepared for the price vengeance may cost you?"

Ellie just nodded and with a smile left.

It wasn't until she was back in her motel room writing her notes on the day that Ellie realised he hadn't flinched at or even questioned her declaration. He never told her it was ridiculous or that it was impossible it was the same man. He had all but confirmed her suspicions. Somehow Carlisle Cullen was the same man she had seen.

Desperate for some kind of activity Ellie began researching the Quileute Legends on line. She followed many links and read a great many articles about cold ones and spirit warriors but mothing seemed to fit. Dr Hale was long lived, un-ageing, but she had no idea if he was fast, strong and drank blood like the creatures she was reading about.

The flash of yellow in Seth's eyes made her think, wolves had yellow eyes. Could the 'descended from wolves' that was mentioned in the stories actually mean they had 'wolf-like' qualities? It was possible Ellie supposed. If she was prepared to believe in immortal blood drinkers so easily, then why would she question spirit warriors?

Ellie began to shiver, she was almost certain she was entering a world where 'supernatural' creatures existed, what kind of supernatural creatures she wasn't sure. But they were out there somewhere.

Was she prepared to pay the price her revenge might cost her?

Was she willing to die to get what she wanted?

"Yes, if that was what it takes." She answered her unspoken question, although she did admit to herself that she hoped it wouldn't come to that. But if the Cullen's had disposed of so many others then her death was a definite possibility.

She was reminded of a line from a song that had always struck a chord with her.

" _Justice and Liberty, you can't buy. But you don't get free."_ ('Born in 58' by Bruce Dickinson)

Yes, she was willing to pay any price to get even.

ooOOoo

The next couple of days were relatively unproductive in Ellie's opinion. She got absolutely nowhere with the court and police department. No one there could actually remember the wedding and subsequent death of Bella Swan. While most had heard of her father none remembered him personally either. The autopsy report for Isabella Swan could not be found, neither could the one for Frank Thompson. While they were going to investigate the lapse Ellie didn't expect positive results. It simply confirmed in her mind that somehow Carlisle had gotten rid of all the evidence.

The police let her see Charlie Swans service record and so on. He had been an exemplary officer until Bella's death but had resigned almost straight after. The current Chief of Police, a guy in his late forties called Sam Uley looked her up and down in a very disturbing way when she asked her questions and flatly refused to answer them. Telling her to leave the past in the past where it belonged.

"I have enough to worry about with the here and now."

As for the disappearance of Jacob Black, there had been no missing person's report filed and no investigation into his whereabouts ever undertaken. Chief Uley was even less forthcoming on that topic and basically accused Ellie of trying to stir up trouble. If there was no report filed then he had not been considered missing.

It was painfully obvious to Ellie that she was going to get nothing from them. Leaving the station and looking out into the trees while she tried to decide her next move Ellie had that feeling of foreboding again.

Was someone watching her? She was beginning to wonder if that was the case.

Making her way quickly to her car Ellie couldn't quite dislodge the feeling. Could Carlisle somehow have heard that she was investigating them and be following her? She didn't think it was possible but then what did she really know? Perhaps it was all just her imagination, after all she was considering vampires and spirit warriors really existed, it was bound to make her a little jumpy.

Laughing at her own self-induced paranoia Ellie went to a nearby diner for some food and a chance to think. It was early afternoon and she felt she could get things in Forks wrapped up that afternoon and be off home tomorrow. At this point she had no idea where to look next. Alaska had been mentioned but it was a big place, she needed something more specific. Thinking logically she decided there could be more in her grans diary from when the Cullens arrived in Forks, a place name perhaps. Maybe Angela would know a bit more?

Having made the decision Ellie called the home and asked to see her again, she had promised to visit before she went home after all. On the way to see Angela she bought a couple of bunches of yellow carnations, Ellie had always thought they were happy flowers.

'Little balls of sunshine' her gran had called them and Ellie had always felt the same. She got one for Angela and one for Jessica's mothers grave. She wanted to leave something happy.

Angela was happy to see her and accepted the flowers with a chuckle and a broad smile. They chatted for a while Angela saying she had decided to move to Boston to be nearer her daughter, she was excited about the move. She claimed hearing about Jessica had inspired her to take the chance.

Ellie was delighted with her news.

"I'm sure it's the right decision." She commented with a smile.

"I'm curious," she continued "why did you chuckle at the flowers? Do they remind you of something?"

Angela just laughed again.

"No dear. You gave me them because they are a happy, cheerful flower yes?" She was laughing quietly to herself, her face alive with mirth. "And they are of course. I love flowers and have read a lot about the language of flowers, what people say with them. In the past people would send messages to one another with flowers." She clarified at Ellie's confused look.

"These for example would say 'disappointment and rejection.'" She said with a cheerful laugh. "It is such a shame as they are such a happy flower."

Ellie blushed at that, she had no idea flowers had a language. She had always bought what made her feel nice, what if she had been inadvertently insulting people all this time.

"Don't be troubled, I love them. I don't know that many people would ever find a gift of flowers offensive." Angela said as if she had read Ellie's mind. She patted her hand and smiled warmly. "I have always found it highly amusing that crimson roses are given on Valentine's day , considered a token of love, but are saying 'mourning' and Lilies which often make up part of funeral arrangements are said to represent 'virginity, purity, it's heavenly to be with you and youth.' They really should be the other way around don't you think? Of course that's just from the sources I have read."

Ellie couldn't help but laugh at that. Angela was so animated as she spoke it held Ellie entranced. Angela described so many contradictions between what the flower supposedly said and why they are given in today's society. So much so Ellie resolved to look up the meanings of flowers in future, it seemed a fun way of communicating.

Eventually Ellie managed to steer the conversation back toward the Cullen family.

"I know gran travelled a lot in Alaska, I was going to go there next. I was wondering if you knew where the Cullen family came from, maybe they still have family there?" she asked timidly. Ellie knew it was kind of an obvious question.

Angela looked at her for a moment appraisingly. She sighed.

"If I remember correctly the cousins at the wedding came from Denali. But I doubt they would remember your grandmother dear, even if they are still alive. And I very much doubt they would want to discuss Bella either. I wouldn't bother with them if I were you."

Ellie blushed and looked down at her hands, she felt like a kid caught out in stealing biscuits.

"You are right of course. I guess I can get a little carried away some times."

"Just like Jessica." Angela replied with a wry smile. Ellie smiled back and changed the conversation completely.

After about another hour or so Ellie left Angela with the promise of trying to visit her in Boston and a copy of the book.

"If it ever gets published."

She had left her address and hoped Angela would keep in touch. Ellie had liked her enormously and had every intention of making good on her promise to visit. It didn't feel like a chore at all, just like with her gran.

As she drove back towards the cemetery her thoughts took a more melancholy turn. She had enjoyed her visit to Forks. It had been productive and frustrating in equal measure. It had given her a great insight into her grans life and personality. But as far as Carlisle Hale was concerned it had certainly raised more questions than it answered. That she was stumbling blindly into an unknown and dangerous situation was very evident. As was the fact she would not turn away.

As she walked quietly among the graves towards that of her great grandmother she felt again that feeling of disquiet, of maybe being watched. This time though she wasn't filled with a sense foreboding or anxiety. It seemed to Ellie symptomatic that she was perhaps getting somewhere after all.

Laying the carnations down she whispered a few words. Telling her about her life and dreams as well as apologising for the meaning of the flowers. But then she laughed, her gran would have no doubt found it very funny so hopefully her great gran would as well. Ellie could definitely chuckle at the irony.

"Goodbye, wish me luck." She whispered.

As she stood she slid two of the flowers from the bouquet. Bella and Charlie deserved a little sunshine too.

Picking her way through the cemetery with care and approaching the grave she stopped stock still, her eyes wide with shock or was it horror. Looking around wildly a cold shiver ran down her spine and she resisted the urge to turn and run. She found it hard to grasp what her eyes were seeing and yet there was absolutely no doubt at all.

There lying on the grave of Bella and Charlie Swan was a huge bouquet of dark, crimson roses.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry about the long wait. Enjoy.**

 _There lying on the grave of Bella and Charlie Swan was a huge bouquet of dark, crimson roses._

Eleyne looked around with her heart in her mouth. The overwhelming impulse within her was to turn tail and run as far and as fast as she could. Swallowing down her fear she forced herself to approach the grave site. Recalling her earlier conversation with Angela, Ellie remembered that these roses meant mourning.

"But how many people know that?" She said quietly to the grave.

In all honesty they could more than easily be there to represent love or even someone's favourite flowers. Though looking down at the two names on the headstone she was forced to admit they were unlikely to be Charlie's. So that left Bella. She had no way of knowing if red roses were indeed Bella's favourites and why someone was putting them on a grave after sixty years was equally as mysterious.

Ellie took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. She wasn't going to get anywhere if she ran away. She read the headstone carefully, looking at the dates and trying to work out if today was a particular anniversary but it was not the date of either Bella or Charlie's birth or death and as far as she could remember the flowers could not be commemorating the anniversary of Bella's wedding. It seemed highly unlikely that they were there for Charlie's wedding over eighty years ago. So what were they for?

While she was thinking she was overcome once again by the feeling of being watched. It was a curious, anticipatory feeling that didn't make her feel unduly worried but at the same time did send a trickle of fear down her spine. Looking past the cemetery out towards the trees she tried desperately to see something, a darker shadow within a shadow perhaps or a fleeting movement against the breeze. Unfortunately or fortunately she saw nothing, but she still couldn't shake the feeling of unease and decided to get out of there.

Picking up the roses she looked for any indication of who had sent them, there was no florist card, no message, nothing. One thing was clear was that this was an expensive arrangement of twenty or so full blooms, tightly wrapped and arranged into a perfect posy. Neat and elegant, yet extravagant. The kind of thing most women would be thrilled to receive on Valentine's Day or any day really as a token of love. But on a grave, even knowing the meaning it looked wrong, threatening, ominous even.

Placing the bouquet back on the grave she gently laid her two bright yellow carnations next to it.

"I wanted to bring you both a little sunshine, to let you know you aren't forgotten. Looks like I am not the only one. I will find out what happened and when I do I'll come back with more. I know that you Bella might not want me to find the truth; you could want to protect them. So I hope you can forgive me and understand. I have to do this." With that she kissed the tips of her fingers and touched them to the headstone. Then quickly turned and made her way back to her car.

Back in her motel room she packed her things and thought back over the flowers and her reaction at seeing them. There was the very slim possibility that it was a message to her. The thought was terrifying, Ellie knew she had been a little obvious in her questioning and she had basically told Seth her thoughts.

Could he be warning her?

No her had warned her to her face.

Could the Cullen/Hales have gotten wind of her enquiries?

Again a bunch of flowers on a grave seemed obscure and a little too subtle. If they had killed her gran to protect their secret they would have no compunction in killing her. But would they put flowers on a grave they could not be sure she would visit again? Ellie really thought not.

So she returned to the original question. Who had put them there? She came up with four possibilities.

Edward – could he be still alive and mourning his murdered bride?

If Carlisle Cullen was still around it was safe to assume the rest of his family was as well. Everyone had commented on Edwards display at Bella's funeral, all the 'I will join you soon my love!' If it was him sending the flowers, then that whole thing was an act. That thought made Ellie furious.

"Are we little more than playthings to these creatures?" She asked herself out loud. "Do they think themselves like gods, merrily playing with and destroying the lives of those the came into contact with. No care for the consequences." Ellie was resolved there would be consequences they would care about, she would make sure of it.

Another possibility was Jacob, it was a long shot she admitted. But if he was a shifter, could he be still alive? Why not? Something made her feel that expensive roses weren't his style. Neither did it match what she knew of Bella. Wild flowers seemed more what they would go for.

So that led her back to Edward and the rest of his family. Could they be sending the flowers in memory of the girl and her father they had killed. That seemed callus but not something she would exactly put past her image of them.

Lastly was the chance it was purely a coincidence, some random person like herself who had heard the sad sorry and wanted to express their regret at a young life lost. But in the back of her mind was the niggling thought. Why would a random person send roses? When the majority of people would use them to express love. Was it because she had died on honeymoon? That didn't feel right either. Her every instinct was leading her toward the Cullen family but was she demonising them given her feelings and beliefs? She supposed it was quite possible, but she still felt that it was the most realistic answer. But then she laughed. Realistic! She was contemplating vampires sending flowers to their lost love, there was nothing realistic about that.

One thing that suddenly struck her was that the flowers were real and had to have come from somewhere. Searching the internet for florists she found two in Port Angeles and several in Seattle that did internet orders, it was a long shot but worth a try. Usually the order was sent to the florist nearest the destination for processing so the Port Angeles ones were a possibility. She would give them a try in the morning before leaving for home.

She was feeling suddenly very alone and frightened. She desperately wanted to talk to someone, anyone about her suspicions. Someone who could help her make sense of them. Ellie also briefly considered trying to talk to Seth again. Demanding to know the truth, but something stopped her. The flash of yellow in his eyes came to mind, it screamed danger. He would probably not respond well to demands. While it was obvious he knew more than he said, it was equally obvious would tell her nothing.

The enormity of the situation began to sink in, the task before her was immense and the consequences severe for all involved. She felt lost, almost dwarfed by fate but was equally determined not to back down and give in. She would see this through. In an attempt to shake these despondent feelings she took herself off to the nearest bar, ordered some food and wine and tried very hard to pretend everything was ok.

A couple of hours later found Eleyne in much better spirits. She had had a nice meal and a few drinks, chatted with other patrons and got her confidence back. As she sat and sipped her drink she looked around the bar. There were a lot of people there now, couples dancing and groups of people laughing and drinking. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and had been exactly what she needed but having a long day of travelling tomorrow she didn't want to stay too long.

After paying her bill Ellie made her way to the door. Squeezing past a group of people she was knocked backwards by a guy coming the other way.

"Sorry" he muttered and turned away before she had a real chance to look at him.

"It's fine" she said to his retreating form but he was blocked from view by the crowds. Shrugging dismissively she jostled her way out of the bar and walked back to her motel. Reaching her room she groped around in her bag for her keys, opened the door and stepped inside. Taking off her jacket she reached into the pocket for her phone. Along with her phone she found a piece of paper that she was sure hadn't been there before.

With shaking hands she unfolded the note and read it. It was short and to the point.

" _Watch your back!"_

Ellie gasped loudly and with her heart thudding loudly in her ears slid to the floor.

"Oh god!" she whispered as she read the note again.

Someone was watching her!

But was the note a threat or a warning?

Who had given her it? Ellie couldn't remember anyone getting close enough except the guy who had knocked her. He had been tall and worn a dark jacket and jeans, that was all she could remember. That could be anyone. Did he have the time to slip that note into her pocket without her noticing?

"Pickpockets manage the other way." She thought to herself.

Rising shakily to her feet she forced herself to get ready for bed. As she washed her face and brushed her teeth with shaking hands she tried desperately to remember more details about the man who had knocked into her. She had barely seen him, it had all happened so fast. Exhausted and worried she double then triple checked the locks on the door and windows before wearily climbing into bed. Certain she wouldn't sleep a wink, Ellie laid down staring blankly at the door in nervous anticipation of some nameless creature bursting through and eventually drifted off into a restless sleep.

The next morning an exhausted Ellie checked out of the motel and coffee in hand trundled to the first florist on her list. She had had several nightmares and was completely drained. Her first instinct on waking was to pack up and leave as soon as possible but she was determined not to be chased away and wanted to see if she could find any further information.

The first florist on her list was unhelpful. They seemed annoyed with her questions; she began to suspect she had outstayed her welcome in the town. The second florist was equally as helpful and she left the shop disappointed. On her way out into the street she felt herself being watched again, this time it pissed her off. She refused to be intimidated any longer and squaring her shoulders turned to walk down the street.

"Hold on!"

She turned to see a young guy, about her age walking quickly toward her. He was tall, well built and looked like he came from one of the nearby reservations.

"The flowers are sent every month, they are a bequest being handed by them." He thrust a business card into her hand. "Be careful."

"Who are you?" she asked quickly to his back as he was turning away.

Stopping he turned back slowly.

"Someone who wants justice at last. Sorry I can't say anymore, I've probably said too much as it is." With that he turned and jogged off down the street and hopped in the florist's delivery van before starting it up and heading out of town.

She quickly looked around but saw no one watching or even really glancing her way. She made her way back to her car and locked the doors before looking at the card in her hand.

Marston, Hall and Carew. Solicitors at Law, Rochester, New York

"Looks like I am heading to Rochester now and Denali later." Ellie mused as she started her car and headed toward the airport.

ooOOoo

A week later Eleyne was unpacking her bags in a swanky hotel in downtown Rochester. She had decided to treat herself to a little luxury after the travelling and research she had done. Even though she had done a lot of research into Bella Swan's death she had also managed to write the first few chapters of her book, in a first draft form at least. She was feeling proud of herself and felt she deserved a reward.

Wandering around the suite into the bathroom she was reminded of Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" taking a swim in the tub. It was huge! Could comfortably fit at least five people. So having finished her unpacking she ordered room service and when her wine arrived did go for a swim in the tub. While relaxing she was running her mind over her appointment with the solicitors the next day. She had simply made an appointment with the solicitor who would deal with bequests. She didn't really have a clue what to say when she got there but was fairly sure she would get little or no information. Ellie was debating whether to cancel it altogether as there was a possibility the Cullens would be informed of her visit. She wasn't ready to face them yet. She didn't have even the smallest idea as to how to exact her revenge. She was debating simply telling the truth, that she was investigating Bella Swan for her book and had learned about the bequest. It was worth a try.

In the end Eleyne had decided to go with the truth at the firm of Marston, Hall and Carew. She appraised the junior solicitor of her book into her grans life and the interesting mystery of Bella Swan and the flowers. She was then courteously informed that it was against company policy to discuss client's wishes with an external party. It was short, to the point and almost exactly what Ellie had been expecting.

Despondent she decided to head to the nearest library and peruse the stores of local papers for anything regarding the three family names she now could attach to the mysterious Dr Hale/Cullen. The third name being Masen, Edwards name, according to the newspaper article about the wedding and Bella's subsequent death.

The walk to the library was tense, she had the distinct impression of being watched and hurried into the building quickly. After asking where the databases were stored and taking her time to look around and see if she recognised anyone Ellie settled herself in front of the library computer with her folder of newspaper articles and copies of diary and yearbook pages and photographs. She had amassed quite a dossier so far and yet none of it proved anything. It was just random notes and names which didn't necessarily link together. Trying to look at it from an external point of view Ellie had to admit everything she had was flimsy and circumstantial.

She began to search the database for any mention of the names Cullen, Hale and Masen, it was a long laborious task but after a couple of hours her patience was rewarded. In a small entry dated late 1932 was the announcement of the engagement of Miss Rosalie Hale to Mr Royce King II. Flicking quickly through the folder by her side she found the copy of the yearbook for the grans senior year of high school. Rosalie Hale was mentioned alongside her brother Jasper Hale and siblings Edward, Emmett and Alice Cullen. Ellie almost jumped out of her seat in excitement then forced herself to calm down. It could be pure coincidence.

Searching for further information on the couple she found an entry about the engagement party showing pictures of a radiant looking Rosalie and her family. Ellie's blood ran cold as she gazed at the long blonde hair and face that was hauntingly similar to that of the girl talking to Carlisle in the carpark of the hospital the day before her gran had died.

"Oh god!" she whispered to herself.

Overcome by a sudden panic she spun round in her chair looking to see if she was being watched. Half expecting the beautiful blonde in the photo to appear from behind a book case and threaten her. She was terrified that someone would see what she was doing and put two and two together. Looking around Ellie saw only one other person. A man sitting reading at the other side of the room. He had not been there when she had come in but was right across the room and he did not appear to have noticed her terrified demeanour and sudden spin in her chair but continued reading his book.

Pulling herself together with a stern mental talking to she read the article carefully, in it were mentioned the guests in attendance at the celebration and while there was no photo clearly listed was Dr Carlisle Masen, his wife Esme and brother Edward. Again Ellie's heart nearly stopped as she read the names. She was not sure what Carlisle's wife had been called but him and Edward listed together was too much of a coincidence. Printing several copies of the page she tried to regain control of her wildly beating heart and returned to her investigation. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself and surreptitiously glancing around to see if anyone had noticed her she read on. In April 1933 she found a newspaper article detailing the mysterious disappearance of Rosalie Hale just before her wedding? Her torn coat and hat had been found in a pool of blood. Foul play was suspected and while no body had been found at the time of printing the case was being treated as murder. Her distraught parents and fiancée were posting a reward for information. Again there was the photo of Rosalie from her engagement party looking happy and in love. Ellie stared at it for several long minutes before printing the article. She was certain this was the girl from the car park.

Lastly she found an article from a few months later detailing the brutal murder of Royce King II and several of his friends. Rosalie was mentioned in passing and the police were hinting that the two cases could be linked. The only evidence found at the scene was a scrap of embroidered silk from a wedding dress. The dress turned out to have been stolen from a nearby dressmaker the day before. Feeling instinctively the two were connected Ellie printed that article out as well.

Sitting back to take stock Ellie realised that there was a host of evidence that the person she had seen had been involved in an 'incident' in 1933 but nothing to prove they were still walking around now. She needed evidence that they currently existed and that was going to be much harder to find. As to what she was going to do with all this 'evidence' she had absolutely no idea. Something deep inside her was saying that it was important and would eventually help her achieve her goal.

Checking her watch Ellie realised it was close to the libraries' closing time. With a sigh she closed down the computer and packed up her things. The day had started disappointingly but at that moment she felt that she was finally beginning to make progress. She realised she was no nearer to tracking the doctor down but for some reason felt positive. She finished packing away and slowly made her way out of the library and back to her hotel. She was ready for a meal and some fun.

A moment or two after Ellie had passed him by the man who had been reading in the corner of the library smiled to himself and stood, the discarded book falling carelessly to the floor with a loud bang that resonated in the silent building. He made his way out of the library passing the librarian who attempted to admonish him for the noise but who shrank away in fear when he saw the chilling smile gracing the man's countenance. Looking heavenwards he noticed with relief the sky was now cloudy and night was drawing in, he would be able to move faster. Turning on his heel to follow the girl he slipped into the shadows and made his way down the street.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is chapter 6. Thanks for all the reviews. Enjoy.x**

The man followed Eleyne silently down the street to her hotel. He blended into the shadows of the reception behind her and then followed silently, unnoticed by the other patrons and the girl as she made her way towards her room.

"Suite eh! Treating herself." He thought cheerfully as he stopped outside the door, listening to her sigh as shoes were removed and then the sound of wine pouring into a glass and water running into the bathtub. Making his way out onto the fire escape he took the time to plan his next move.

He hadn't intended to follow the girl; in fact he hadn't intended to follow anyone. He had simply been caught out by the sun and shot into the library to avoid getting seen out in the open. Once he entered the building he walked around slowly then he had picked up the first book he saw and settled himself in a dark corner to wait the day out.

The book was one he hadn't read before, something about cavemen, it kept him from getting bored at least. After about half an hour his attention was drawn to the young woman at one of the computers. Her heart rate had taken off at a gallop and he clearly heard her whispered.

"Oh God!"

Glancing over surreptitiously over at her he saw a slim figure with rich auburn hair tumbling down her back. She glanced round in a panic and he noticed the high cheekbones and pretty face. But it was the flash of green eyes that caught his attention, that and the article on the computer screen she was reading. It was about the engagement of Rosalie Hale.

"What are you doing?" He thought to himself as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She didn't appear to have noticed him and went back to reading the article.

There was a sheaf of documents on the table next to her and he was curious to get a better look. When she started to rifle through the papers he saw a few photographs and newspaper articles which piqued his interest further. So much so that when she moved to the printer to retrieve her papers he darted over to her table and quickly glanced through the information she had gathered.

"Carlisle Cullen" he mused to himself as he retook his seat before she noticed he had moved. Thinking himself lucky no one else had noticed either, he berated himself as he had just taken a stupid risk. He never took stupid risks and couldn't quite understand why he had done this. He supposed it was because no one else was around. It was still stupid but being a vampire did have some benefits and speed was one of them.

She had quite a lot of notes about the Cullen family and even a sixty year old photograph of Carlisle himself. There were articles relating to the marriage and death of Bella Swan and some medical journals which must have been written be Carlisle himself, although the surnames varied, they were dated sporadically over the last two hundred years.

Carlisle had been very careless he realised with a grim smile. He had always known Carlisle's need to be in the human world was a dangerous one. While this girl clearly had no concrete proof that all of the names and pictures related to the same person she was evidently looking for something and appeared close to finding their secret. She was also being quite thorough, dangerously so.

As time passed and he noticed she was reading more and more about the disappearance of Rosalie Hale and the murder of her fiancé.

"So you are on to Rose as well are you?" He questioned silently to himself.

This girl was intriguing. He was curious as to why she was interested in the Cullens. What had they done to draw her attention? And what was she looking to do with what she found out? He also began to wonder what she actually did know, how much had she already figured out?

He found himself hoping she knew nothing, because she would be in a very dangerous position if she did know anything about his kind. He was determined to find out more about her and what she was doing. Somehow he was going to have to try and make friends with a human and get her to tell him what she was doing. Not something he had ever done before. He knew he could simply threaten and kill her but for some reason the thought of doing that made him uncomfortable, not a feeling he was familiar with. So as she left the library he had found himself following her in the shadows to her hotel whilst trying to come up with a plan.

Once he realised she was in the bath he took off away from the hotel to a closed clothing store and broke in. He took enough clothes for a weeks' worth of outfits and packed them into a bag. Next he broke into an optician and stole several sets of dark brown contact lenses. The man hated wearing the things but if he was going to blend in enough to talk to her he had to hide his eyes. She may already know about vampires and he didn't want to tip her off that she was talking to one. Once that was done he made his way back to the hotel and asked for a room for a week and paid cash. While he was being signed in his keen eyesight spotted her room number in the register and discovered her name.

Eleyne Standish.

She was also booked in for a week. That gave him time to put his plan into action but if he couldn't find out what this Miss Standish was up to he would just have to break into her room and read all of her stuff. The thought did occur to him that he was going to extraordinary lengths for this woman when his usual course of action would be the direct, threatening then killing approach. What was it about this girl that was different, that was making him do things contrarily?

With very little effort he managed to secure the room across from Eleyne and from the sounds coming from her room she was drying her hair. Taking a short time to shower and change he tried to smarten himself up a little before he heard his quarry leaving her room. Following Miss Standish out of the hotel and into a bar down the street he settled into another corner out of her eye line with a drink and waited for an opening.

oOo

Eleyne had got the feeling of being watched since she walked out of the library. It seemed to be an almost permanent fixture now, one which she was getting heartily sick of. Since first feeling like she was being watched she had gone through almost every emotion, fear, terror, curiosity and now was heading very quickly toward anger. The feeling had returned a day after getting home from Forks and had stayed with her the whole time she was there. Now it was here in Rochester and she could no longer accept it was just her imagination or coincidence. Whoever it was seemed to be playing games with her and she was not happy about it.

She found herself thinking about her mystery follower a great deal. Apart from the warning note she had received, and assuming it was from her stalker, she had had no contact with them at all and yet they seemed to know where she would be. Why didn't they approach her? What were they waiting for? Did they expect her to give herself away? She found the whole situation confusing and frankly annoying. If their intended goal was intimidation it was backfiring because the longer this state of affairs continued the less scared she felt. When she did finally meet this person she was going to give them a piece of her mind. But … she was not quite ready to call them out just yet.

Indulging herself in a long, hot bubble bath and a glass of chilled wine upon her return to the hotel room, Ellie's mind ran over the information she had found. The engagement party had been attended by a Dr Carlisle Masen and his brother in law Edward. While there was no photo she felt fairly sure it was the same man she was investigating. It also gave her a new name to attribute to the family.

Esme.

But was she still around or had Carlisle just been playing with the human? Had she been killed as Bella had. Ellie wracked her brain for a mention of a wife for Carlisle. She couldn't recall reading about it, but no, both her gran and the nurse at the hospital had mentioned a wife. Perhaps it was the same woman after all. Another vampire – she shuddered at the thought.

Then her musing turned toward the girl who had gotten engaged then disappeared. Her fiancé had been murdered. Eleyne was confident the two were connected and that it was the same girl she had seen in the hospital carpark that fateful day. But who had killed the fiancé and why? The more she pondered the question the more Ellie suspected that Rosalie had had some kind of accident and been found by Carlisle. While she had absolutely no idea what was involved in becoming an immortal, it made sense in her mind to assume it had been Rosalie's only option, other than death itself. Had the fiancé, Royce, had something to do with the presumed accident and subsequently been silenced like her gran? What about his friends? Had they all done something to the girl?

The thought of what might have happened made Ellie's blood run cold. Of course it was all supposition but it did make a kind of sense. Her heart went out to the poor girl, she had only been eighteen when she went missing. Whatever had happened felt tragic to Ellie until she remembered that this girl was one of those who had killed her gran and god knew how many others.

"Christ!" She exclaimed with a sudden horrified realization.

Vampires drank blood.

Human. Blood.

They had probably murdered thousands of humans between them. And if she wasn't careful she could be next. She felt suddenly very cold even in the still steaming water.

Shaking herself from her morbid thoughts she got out of the bath, quickly washed her hair and then decided to head out for the evening. She felt that she needed to be around real people for a while. She seemed to have spent so long thinking about death and revenge she needed to think about life. Being in a crowd would help. It made her feel safe and helped her relax; it reminded her of what she was doing all this for.

Walking into a bar near her hotel she found a table and ordered some food. Glancing around the room she saw nothing to make her feel uncomfortable and yet could not shake the feeling that something was about to happen. There were several couples all enjoying meals and talking animatedly while a few others were dancing. The whole atmosphere of the place was happy and relaxed. Oddly though on the table directly opposite her there was a couple who were both staring off in opposite directions, clearly at odds with one another, possibly in the middle of some argument? They looked deep in their own thoughts and those musings did not appear to Ellie to be pleasant.

She surreptitiously watched the couple for quite some time. Ellie loved watching people, trying to guess their stories and lives. She found it fascinating as well as incredibly entertaining but didn't really like watching happy couples too much. It made her all too aware of her own single status. While she didn't necessarily want a boyfriend or relationship, the young woman had begun in recent weeks to feel lonely. So lonely in fact that even when in a place like this, surrounded by activity and people she still felt alone. As she sipped her drink thoughtfully while watching the dancers moving on the dance floor, she concluded that this particular couple were heading for a row and possible breakup. She wondered who had caused the animosity and what the outcome would be, also who would break and start talking first. Her money was on the girl.

When her food arrived Ellie's attention was drawn once again to the un-communicative couple opposite. They had now begun a whisper argument in which the guy, who looked to be in his early twenties, was getting a real tongue lashing. He looked shame faced and chastened but not repentant. It made Ellie feel that he had perhaps done nothing to warrant the verbal assault he was receiving. He was trying to speak but could not seem to get a word in edgeways. She fought down the urge to laugh as the man's face got redder and redder with anger, she looked away trying not to make them aware of her interest and noticed a couple of other people watching them with much less discretion. From the guy's demeanour and straight backed seat Ellie could tell he was going to blow up soon. And sure enough in a matter of moments he stood, threw some money down on the table and walked out leaving his companion sitting open mouthed with tears in her eyes as she stared after him.

Ellie watched as the girl sat staring at her plate for several minutes fighting back tears. It made Ellie feel disappointed in herself, that even for a short time she had found entertainment in someone else's pain. The girl wiped her eyes carefully before she drank down her drink and with a sigh stood and left the bar. Eleyne sighed herself. It was another in the long list of unanswered questions. How she would have loved to follow them and find out their story, to know what had gone wrong and why it had come to that argument. Would they be reconciled? What was going to happen now? It made her feel frustrated and sad that she would probably never know. It was just another frustration piled onto the many she was already feeling. Was her quest for revenge worth it? Would she spend the rest of her life chasing the unattainable? Would it make her bitter and unpleasant? She was terrified of that outcome. She longed for someone to talk to, someone to sound off and give an opinion. But mainly she longed for someone to be there and help. Sighing again she decided to call it a night, she silently finished her food and asked for the bill. Perhaps it was time to go home.

Across the bar the man in the corner had watched the exchange between the couple with avid interest. He of all those in the bar knew the reason for their disagreement. She thought he has slept with another woman and he insisted he had not.

It was the age old story, she had been cheated on in the past and was paranoid he would do it as well. He in turn came across as honest and fervent in his declarations of love and fidelity but his heartbroken companion refused to listen, she refused to see she was pushing him away with her doubts and accusations. The watcher was in no doubt at all how this would end.

Watching Eleyne Standish furtively observe the couple as well gave him a unique insight into her makeup. After centuries of studying people he was very quick to size them up. He enjoyed finding out if his guesses were accurate and would often follow his targets for several days to discover if he was correct. This woman he now observed was an enigma, it was clear she liked to watch people, she was fascinated by them but seemed a little envious he thought. He had noticed the wistful expression when she gazed at the couples and that she would look away quickly. She appeared abashed at times as though caught stealing biscuits, it occurred to him that perhaps she was lonely and felt ashamed to admit she found amusement in the affairs of others. Catching her shy and reluctant smile every so often he decided he was correct.

Chuckling to himself he watched in ever increasing amusement the escalating argument between to two soon to be ex-lovers. The female was giving her frustrated partner a real ear full, accusation after accusation flowed from her lips. At first the beleaguered male tried valiantly to put forth his defence but was shot down at every turn. She simply refused to listen or believe he was innocent. After several moments of this he turned silent and just let her continue her rant. When she finally stopped her speech to draw breath he turned to her with a furious expression and said.

"You know what Linda. I am not going to sit and be accused of this crap. You won't accept I haven't cheated. You won't listen or let me speak. I've had it. Find some other mug to take your insecurities out on."

The vampire found himself impressed by the way the girl 'Linda' keep herself under control and didn't breakdown as he had suspected she would. He noticed that Eleyne managed to look away quickly at the precise moment necessary to avoid being seen watching by the male as he stalked out of the bar without a backwards glance. He could see her frustration mounting, but was not sure of the cause. Was it because the fight was over? Or was she annoyed because she didn't know what it was about? He watched as she returned to her food almost sadly and asked for the bill. She was leaving. He couldn't allow that just yet. He needed to know why she was sad, why she was frustrated, everything.

Overcome by the sudden overwhelming urge to know all there was to know about Miss Eleyne Standish he ordered a drink for himself and one for her before he slowly meandered through the crowds towards her table.

"May I join you?"

Ellie looked up at the man who had spoken. He was standing opposite her with two drinks in his hands and one was clearly for her.

"I was just about to leave." She replied slowly but the man did not appear deterred. He put the glass of wine down in front of her and pulled out the other chair at the table before settling into it.

Before she could protest he gave her a dazzling smile which instantly quieted her objections and put her at ease.

"Just one drink?" He asked pushing the glass of deep red wine towards her.

Ellie accepted the proffered drink with a shy smile. This man was very attractive with a maturity she had always found appealing. He was tall which she always liked and had a scruffy kind of 'devil may care' look with dark messy hair and stubble. He appeared to be roughly her age perhaps a little older and had a mischievous smirk gracing his face. His eyes looked wrong though. They were a flat, muddy brown colour with next to no light in them, she did wonder if they were contacts.

He smiled knowingly; well aware of the effect he had on human females. He liked the power he held, that fact he could charm almost anyone. He was used to being found attractive and desired. It was par for the course with vampirism.

"Just once though it might be nice to be wanted for more than my looks." He mused wryly. Then again good looks made hunting easier and he wanted nothing more than an easy existence. Which begged the question what the hell was he doing?

Smiling warmly he extended his hand towards her.

"Allow me to introduce myself. The names Garrett."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for the long wait.**

 **But at last here it is Chapter 7. Enjoy!**

" _Allow me to introduce myself. The names Garrett."_

'Garrett' She thought to herself as she gazed into his captivating eyes. He had an air of expectation around him and that dangerous 'bad boy' vibe going on that she had always found difficult to resist. Forcing herself to move Ellie reached over and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Your hand is so cold" She exclaimed before she could stop herself.

"Did you parents have a weird sense of humour?" he asked grinning broadly.

"I'm sorry?" she asked in confusion and shook her head; a little bemused.

"Is that your name?" Garrett asked with a chuckle and a broad smile. "Normally people respond to an introduction with their name."

"Oh." she flushed a bright shade of scarlet and looked at her glass with a fascination she hadn't shown before. "My name is Eleyne Standish, Ellie."

"Very pleased to meet you Ellie. And the beer bottle was cold, straight out of the fridge." He took a swig from said beer and smiled again while staring into her eyes.

"Oh." It was all she could say, this man seemed to have made her brain go on a holiday. It was like a mist had descended. She couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. Shaking her head to try to clear the fog Ellie tried to concentrate. His lips were moving. He had such a pretty mouth. She twirled her hair in a way she never had before and gazed at him. His lips moved again she sighed happily, her befuddled mind trying to make sense of the situation. He was speaking. What did he say? She couldn't understand. Something was wrong.

"What did you just say?" She snapped; her confusion was making her abrupt and slightly rude.

He lifted a sardonic eyebrow at her tone and carefully repeated his question, enunciating every word.

"I asked if you didn't like the wine. You hadn't touched it, but the barman assured me it was the same as you had been drinking."

She blushed again and reaching for the glass stared into the swirling red. The action broke eye contact with him. Amazingly her mind cleared, she glanced up at him, he was smirking confidently. Sipping her drink she looked at him carefully while avoiding his eyes. Something was familiar about him, she had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, something wasn't right about this.

"Sorry, I must be more tired than I thought. I didn't mean to be rude." She said quietly. Her instincts told her not to antagonize him so she decided to play nice and smiled warmly. "I should go, thanks for the wine, you are right it is what I was drinking."

She moved to stand but as she did she looked into his eyes again and was lost. His hand covered hers and urged her back to her seat. Sitting back down she smiled. His lips were moving once more and it made her sigh with contentment. Why had she been leaving? It seemed a ridiculous notion now. Why not stay awhile? Yes that would be better, he was smiling at her. He has such a lovely smile. She reached for her hair again and twirled it absentmindedly. All the while in the back of her mind Ellie wondered why the hell she was behaving in such a 'love-struck' way. It wasn't like her at all. But it seemed so right, he was smiling confidently. He really had a lovely smile.

Confused again she picked up her drink. Glancing down at it again she broke eye contact once more and her head cleared.

"What the hell are you doing to me?" She demanded absolutely certain he was messing with her head somehow.

Garrett was shocked she had broken through his thrall so quickly, he had wanted to save time and find out what she was doing but she had resisted, never quite going under thoroughly. Now she had snapped out of it again.

"Me?" He put on his most innocent, hurt expression. "I'm not doing anything to you. Why would you ask that?" Human men would be offended by her accusation so he tried to sound affronted. He wanted her to back down; but he needed her to stay and talk to him.

"You are!" she insisted "Are you some kind of hypnotist?"

"No sweetheart. I guess it's just my mesmerizing good looks." He joked with a broad smile. "I just wanted the chance to get to know you. Sit down please and let's start over. I'm Garrett." He held his hand towards her again.

He was staring at her so intently Ellie was un-nerved again. His smile was a confident, slightly cocky one. Why wasn't he just leaving? She was being rude enough to chase away most men. She shyly shook his hand a second time, noting again how cold it was.

"I'll bet he's never been refused before." She thought as she smiled bashfully and sipped her drink.

"Sorry. It's been a hard few weeks." She murmured by way of an explanation for her behaviour.

"No problem sweetheart." He replied with another winning smile. "What's been hard about it?"

Avoiding his eyes, Ellie looked down at his mouth. The flash of white teeth as he smiled triggered something deep within her, a memory perhaps or simply an instinct. A chill shivered its way down her spine. She'd seen a smile like that before.

"You're like him!" she exclaimed quietly.

"Like who?" He was wary now and trying not to frighten her off. Worried too, she seemed skittish and nervy. Maybe she did know more than she should. He tried to lighten the moment.

"Do you always avoid answering questions?" he asked in a joking, light tone.

She blushed again. Ellie was incredibly confused but she knew she was being very rude and that was not how she had been brought up. What must he think of her? She was mortified and dreaded to guess at the answer.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's come over me." She apologised with an abashed expression and a scarlet complexion. "I'm not normally like this. I'm just really tired."

She sipped her drink and smiled at him carefully avoiding looking into his eyes. Something was not right about all of this. She needed time to clear her head, re-group.

"I really should go. Thanks for the drink." Ellie stood and held out her hand towards him with finality. She was definitely leaving. "Believe it or not it was nice to meet you Garrett."

Garrett shook her hand again and tried to get her to look him in the eye. Anything to keep her here but she refused to oblige, never fully meeting his gaze. He sighed and stood as well.

"How about I walk you to your hotel?" He asked in a last ditch attempt at conversation.

"How do you know I'm staying in a hotel?" she asked defensive all over again. Her thoughts and feelings were yo-yoing completely out of control.

"You are avoiding again." He chuckled and moving around held her jacket for her. "I asked the waitress."

Ellie knew that the waitress wouldn't know where she was staying either. Realization hit her like freezing water in the face.

He was a Cullen come to clean up their mess!

Her heart leapt in to her mouth as she realised just how careless she had been. How blasé she had been about the dangers. She had stomped around declaring them murderers and asking obvious questions. Hardly subtle! Had the lawyer she saw tipped them off? Had Seth? The guy in Port Angeles maybe? She felt so stupid, and more to the point – terrified.

Her breathing became faster and more erratic, it was like a weight was pressing on her chest stopping her lungs from inflating fully. Her skin felt cold and clammy but she was sure she was sweating. His touch was cold again as his fingertips skimmed the back of her neck while she slipped into the jacket he was holding for her, making her shiver violently. He had to have noticed! Trying desperately to get her body and thoughts under control she fought down the urge to run away and nodded quietly.

"I'm staying just around the corner." She whispered. Her thoughts ran in frantic circles. It was a large hotel, there was security and video cameras everywhere. But there were in hospitals too and they hadn't saved her gran. Could she out run him? Glancing at his fit, strong physique and knowing how terrible she was at running the answer came back as a resounding no. If she could just get him to leave her in the reception she might get the chance to pack and get out before he could track her down. It was a slim chance Ellie acknowledged but it was the only one she had.

They walked quietly to the hotel both lost in their own thoughts. She forced herself to walk at a measured pace and at the doorway she turned, full of relief, to wish Garrett goodnight.

"Well isn't that a coincidence." He announced with a happy smile. "I'm staying here too." Without another word he held the hotel door open and ushered her inside.

All the while Ellie's heart was sinking. He had followed her. He must have. She was going to die now and she hadn't accomplished anything. She could feel tears burning her eyes. They were tears of frustration and hopelessness. Resignation as well perhaps. Reaching into her bag for her key card she made her way to the lifts only to have him step inside with her and press the button for her floor.

"How..?" she asked in a whispered gasp.

"What?" he replied with a furrowed brow. "That's my floor." Garrett knew he was giving himself away and tried one last time to convince her it was purely coincidence. He had heard her heart take off at a gallop when they left they bar. He had seen the tears she fought to hide. He knew his attempt at being nice had backfired. He could practically smell her fear.

"Look Ellie. I'm not following you if that's what you think." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Sorry if I gave you that impression. You seem like a nice girl but we appear to have got off on the wrong foot."

Looking at the floor in what he hoped was a shy manner he decided to try the softly, softly approach one last time.

"Listen I know I've gone about this all wrong." He sighed audibly and shuffled his feet. "I have been through a messy breakup and I guess I'm just not used to this." His arm swept wide in an all-encompassing gesture.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or have you think I've been following you. I am honestly staying here. On that floor!" He smiled again, a pleading kind of smile as though begging her to understand.

Ellie began to wonder if she had over reacted, after all coincidences did happen. It was entirely possible he was staying in the same hotel, on the same floor. She felt sorry for having made him sad. Breakups were never easy and it wasn't easy getting back 'out there.' She could have set him back months with her neurotic behaviour. That thought made her feel guilty and filled her with a determination to try and make in right.

Turning toward him as the lift stopped she smiled before stepping through the open doors and heading toward her room. He followed her and stopped directly across the hall from her. It was not a huge surprise as there were only other three suites on that corridor.

"I am sorry for my rudeness earlier Garrett. I can only put it down to tiredness and stress. These last weeks have been trying for me as I said earlier." She smiled warmly and looked into his eyes hoping to reassure him he wasn't in the wrong.

Immediately she felt pulled into his gaze, drawn to the mesmerizing eyes which held her transfixed. Her mind went completely blank, but then inexplicably was filled with thoughts of him. Of course she had been rude, no she shouldn't have been so abrupt. Yes dinner tomorrow would be wonderful. What a great idea, they could meet for breakfast as well. He really did have the most amazing smile. And his hair was sexy in a scruffy, not brushed, straight out of bed kind of way. His red eyes were dazzling.

'What! Red!' She thought suddenly. The shock breaking her out of the silly, love-struck haze she had once again found herself immersed in.

Glancing up carefully she was able to confirm that one of his irises was now in fact blood red in colour and the other was a kind of blood soaked mud colour which appeared to be getting more and more red by the second.

She gasped in shock, her hand flying to cover her mouth.

"Are you ok?" he enquired with concern etched on his face.

"A sudden pain." Ellie whispered in a strangled manner. All the while desperately trying to recover some composure and get away from him without tipping him off. Her mind ran in wild circles as she tried to recollect what she had just been thinking. Breakfast was it?

"What time would you like to meet in the morning?" She asked hesitantly, hoping it was the right question, praying it would throw him off.

"About eight?" He replied with a confident smile.

Not trusting herself to answer she nodded dumbly and shyly smiled before opening her door and scurrying inside like a frightened rabbit. With one last wary smile at her companion Ellie wished him a hesitant goodnight and closed the door to her suite. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes in relief she rested her forehead against the cool wood. She had half expected him to barge his way in with her. The closed door between them gave her a sense of safety and peace. But the terrified young woman knew it was a false security and would be fleeting.

Now, for the moment, free from his presence she was able to breathe and think. Somehow he had managed to turn her usually nimble brain into an addled mess of schoolgirl thoughts and sighing daydreams. He had gotten her to agree to have breakfast and dinner with him tomorrow and she knew that somehow he would persuade her to more than that.

What sort of control did he have over her? Was it just her or could he do that with anyone? Ellie wasn't sure which answer was the most scary. But then she remembered his eyes. Her feeling of horror as one changed from brown to red, the other glowing crimson.

What was he?

It struck her like a thunderbolt.

Vampire.

So he was like the Cullens. They didn't have red eyes though, at least not in the pictures she had seen. Was it contacts perhaps or just a different kind of vampire. She laughed at that thought with an almost hysterical chuckle.

"Different kinds of Vampires!" She exclaimed with a harsh laugh as she made her way into the suite and sat down heavily on the sofa. "Isn't it bad enough I am considering vampire existed at all let alone there could be different kinds?"

She shook her head in disbelief but Eleyne wasn't about to stick around and dwell on the lunacy of that question. Because whatever he was she knew instinctively he was dangerous, deadly even and she had to get away.

Hurling herself through the rooms she scrambled to pack her belongings. Having only planned to stay a week and intended to do some shopping she hadn't brought a lot of luggage. Something which at the moment she was incredibly grateful for.

Within twenty minutes she was all packed and was disappearing into the bathroom to freshen up before leaving. She felt calmer. He was expecting to meet her at eight. She would be long gone by then. Ellie decided that she was going to go home then straight off again on a short vacation for a couple of weeks to the first destination available. She would take the time to get her head together and come up with her next move. Hopefully in that interval he would have lost interest or at least head back to the others to decide what to do.

Sighing she realised he was probably her best chance of finding Dr Hale and that by running away she was squandering that chance, but what choice did she have? If she stayed she was almost certainly going to die.

Self-preservation won out – she was leaving.

Garrett was feeling rather smug when Ellie turned and closed her room door. He had finally managed to get her under his thrall. It had taken a lot of concentration but she had agreed to have dinner with him tomorrow and then breakfast as well. Breakfast was a risk though he had no idea what the weather would be like but as he entered his own room he found himself thinking of her ordering room service while they got to know each other.

He couldn't put his finger on why he liked her. She was not a classic beauty but she was very attractive. He found himself very attracted to her strength of character. After all she had enough will power to break his thrall twice, well three times really. He knew he had lost his hold on her just before she entered her room but he hoped that she would be too confused to notice. He had briefly thought about pushing his way into her room as she closed the door but didn't. It wouldn't have been a very gentlemanly thing to do and would probably end up with her dying.

That thought led him on to thinking about what he would do if she really did know about his kind. By rights he should kill her and be done with it but he blanched at that idea straight away. The thought of her lying cold and dead in his arms made him snarl viciously.

No that was not going to happen. So he was left with only one option.

He would turn her.

He smiled at the thought of the two of them spending the next few centuries together, getting to know one another better – a lot better. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror as he entertained those thoughts but cursed almost as quickly as he had smiled.

The contacts had gone. Staring back at him were vivid red irises. He knew instinctively she had seen them just as he knew that was what had broken his thrall.

"Fuck!" he growled out in frustration as he headed back into the corridor to her room. He reached her door just in time to hear her laughing claim there were _"Different kinds of Vampires!"_

"FUCK!" He snarled out again as he heard the sounds of her frantically packing in an attempt to escape.

Berating himself for his lack of care he sped through his own rooms, out onto his fire escape and up to the roof above her room. He could no longer deny she knew what he was. He also knew that he had no choice now, neither did she, it was turn her or die.

He was furious with himself but also with the Cullens. Somehow he knew that she had found out from them, whether they had willingly informed her, it wouldn't be the first time, or they had simply given something away, they were careless and foolish. But worst of all they were dangerous. They were going to make a huge mistake one day and he just hoped he wasn't caught in the fallout.

Hearing Ellie make her way into her bathroom he quickly slipped down her fire escape and through the window into her sitting room. Trying to affect an air of casual nonchalance he sprawled himself on the sofa with his back to the bathroom door and waited.

Eleyne had managed to pull herself together while in the bathroom. Her plan was good, it would give her time and space to think. He would have no way of finding her or knowing where she was going even if he did manage to get her home address from the hotel reception. No she would be fine.

Heading out into the sitting room to collect her bags she saw a movement in the corner of her eye.

With a sharp gasp she spun around and found herself looking at the same 'red eyed' man that had prompted the panicked flight from the hotel. He was lounging on the couch one foot resting on the knee of his other leg. His arms spread out along the back of the sofa looking for all the world as though he belonged there.

"Now Ellie." He said in a conversational tone. "You weren't planning on standing me up were you?"

She swallowed nervously, her throat constricting and her breathing becoming difficult. Her head started to swim.

"I think we need to talk don't you?"

It was the last thing she heard before everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about the wait folks. Real life has been .. well .. real life. I can promise I will not give up on the story.**

 **Great news though. Silent Embers has been nominated in the Best OC/Nomad or Other Coven Category in the Non-Canon Awards.**

 **Huge thanks to whoever nominated me xx I hope you will all vote.**

 **Any way on with the story.**

" _I think we need to talk, don't you?"_

 _It was the last thing she heard before everything went black._

'Fuck!' Garrett thought as he leapt towards the falling body of Eleyne Standish. The body which was currently dropping like a stone to the floor, by way of the coffee table.

He reached out a hand and caught her head before it hit the corner of said coffee table, with the other he swept her legs out from under her and cradled the unconscious girl in his arms. For a brief moment he thought he might have frightened her to death or even snapped her neck in his haste to prevent her blood from being spilled. However after listening carefully for a few seconds he could hear her very welcome beating heart.

Breathing a deep sigh of relief he carried Ellie into the bedroom and laid her down gently on the bed. He softly brushed her hair away from her face and a wistful smile appeared on his face as he traced the cupids bow curve of her lips with his fingertips. She looked younger asleep like this, untroubled, innocent even. She was really very pretty he decided. The urge to kiss her was very strong and he struggled to resist it. His hand reached for her she was out cold after all, she wouldn't know. He pulled his hand back with an effort, he was not in the habit of assaulting unconscious women.

Regardless of his wishes his fingers moved as though guided by some unseen force over her face. With a feather light touch he caressed her eyelids, cheek and throat. His fingers traced the shell of her ear and ran through the soft silk of her hair. He couldn't seem to help himself nor could he stop, even though he was essentially assaulting an unconscious woman, he realised wryly. The thought made him chuckle and the noise of that chuckle made Ellie stir and begin to come around.

Standing slightly away from her Garrett watched in amused silence as Eleyne moved around on the bed and stretched her arms above her head. She smiled to herself and sat up. He observed the exact moment she remembered what had happened as the smile fell from her face and she began to look around the room frantically, her eyes straining to see though the dark.

Ellie opened her eyes to the dark of her bedroom and for an all too brief moment forgot her earlier terror only to be jolted back to reality as she sat up and realised she was still fully dressed. She glanced around, scanning the room for her un-invited guest. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted him leaning nonchalantly against the door frame of her bedroom. She gasped, her eyes widening in fear before she sucked in a lungful of air in order to scream the place down. But before she could release the auditory assault a cold hand was clamped firmly over her mouth and she found herself looking into the red eyes of her assailant.

Garrett had seen her take a deep breath in preparation to let loose a scream he was certain would have had his ears ringing for hours and brought the surrounding rooms occupants rushing to her aid. So he did the only thing he could think of and covered her mouth while leaning forward and whispering in her ear.

"Don't do that! Please - it'll really hurt. Look Ellie if I wanted to hurt you I would have done it by now. Just relax. I'll take my hand away and we can talk. OK."

He leaned back to look at her again. Her eyes were still wide and fearful but after a moment or two she nodded slowly.

He was right of course, she thought to herself if he wanted to hurt her he would have done so already.

Moving his hand at an almost snail's pace Garrett leaned even further back to give her space and allow himself a better look. The top two buttons of her blouse had unfastened, he could see the pale green lace of her bra showing over the swell of her breasts as her chest heaved erratically with an attempt at calming down. His hand was resting on her thigh, he could feel the warmth of her skin radiating into him as he unconsciously moved his fingers in small circles. While he tried to be a gentleman and look at her face his eyes kept being drawn back to her cleavage. He felt like a bumbling schoolboy presented with his first view of a real pair of tits.

It took Ellie a minute or two to get her breathing back under control but as she began to pull herself back together she became more aware of the close proximity of his body and exactly where his hand was. It was on the top of the thigh of her right leg, very close to the top and his fingers were tracing small circles that brought them closer and closer to her crotch. She stiffened slightly when she realised that but froze completely when looking towards his face she noticed where his gaze was directed. It wasn't that his touch didn't feel good, on the contrary if felt amazing and was sending tingles through her entire being but the intensity of his stare and the fact he had broken into her room quashed any desire that might have been mounting and felt like a bucket of ice was running through her veins.

She shivered uncontrollably and the movement caused Garrett to tear his eyes away from her chest and look into hers. They were beautiful he acknowledged, they were drawing him in and binding him to her in a way he was helpless to fight. Without realising what he was doing he leaned forward again as the urge to kiss her became too strong to ignore.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Ellie asked her voice shaking slightly with the fury she was now feeling. Not only had he broken into her room but now he was assaulting her. "Are you mad? Or do I have 'EASY' tattooed on my forehead?"

Garrett shot away from her so fast it was almost funny. He was looking at her in an embarrassed, disappointed way. It reminded her of puppies when you caught them chewing your slippers. They were sorry they got caught not for what they had done. A semi hysterical giggle burst from her lips as he seemed to find the carpet of infinite interest. The giggle made him look up again.

"Sorry, umm, no tattoo that I can see no. You do have very lovely eyes though." His heart sank at the lameness of the line. He stuttered over his apology and made an attempt at a winning smile. She had thrown him completely.

Ellie felt her heart softening towards him as the ludicrousness of the situation crept up on her and a loud laugh burst from her lips. It was true, if he wanted to hurt her, or rape her she was fairly sure he would have done it while she was out cold and would not be looking like he was being sent to the headmaster for punishment.

Hearing the girl laugh brought Garrett out of his self-pitying thoughts. He wasn't really sure what was going on, he found it incredibly embarrassing that he couldn't seem to control himself around this human. It wasn't that he was opposed to sex with human girls, quite the opposite, they were so much easier to charm into bed, but he didn't want this one for that, at least he hadn't wanted that but now he was alone with her it was all he could think about. It wasn't like him, not like him at all. He looked up at her and couldn't think of a thing to say.

"Are you ok?" he asked while internally cringing, of course she wasn't ok. How dumb was that line anyway?

"Am I ok?" Her expression was incredulous. "No not really. It was quite a shock to find you in here. How did you get in by the way?"

"Through the fire escape. Those things are easy to force." He answered, surprised at his own honesty.

"I need a drink." Ellie said to herself and gave a squeak of surprise when a second later she was presented with a bottle of water. He was sitting on the bed again. She noticed his gaze shift back to her chest and quickly re-fastened the buttons before taking the proffered bottle.

"Sorry." He said with a shrug of his shoulders, shamefaced at being caught staring again.

"Men! I don't know what the fascination is." She whispered again, unaware that she was talking out loud. "My tit's aren't that impressive."

Now it was Garrett's turn to laugh.

"They are fine." He answered before thinking but noticed her raised eyebrows. "They are better than fine really, great in fact, a perfect handful." He stumbled over the words, backtracking hastily in case he had offended her, wishing desperately he could stop speaking with his penis like an adolescent teenager.

"Honestly though, come on I'm a guy!" he commented with a mischievous smile and cheeky wink.

"Ugh" She groaned with a roll of her eyes. But his comment made her lips twitch into an attempt at a smile. She tried to cover it quickly but when she looked up at him it was obvious her amusement had not gone un-noticed. He was wearing a broad shit-eating grin and holding a hand out towards her.

"Come on. Let's go back in there." He motioned towards the lounge room with a tilt of his head. "You can get some coffee or something and we can talk."

"Great." Ellie muttered while taking the out-stretched hand and allowing herself to be pulled upright. "Just what I always wanted."

Garrett chuckled as he pulled her towards him. His arm slipped around her waist on its own accord. He breathed in deeply, savouring her scent. Her heart was racing and her breath coming in small gasps. Releasing her hand he ran his own down her arm to her neck and slowly entwined his fingers in her hair. Looking down at her face he noticed her eyes were wide. Not exactly afraid, but not comfortable. He smiled softly at her before bending his head and running his nose up her throat, following the line of her vein, to her ear.

"Sssh. I won't hurt you." He whispered and gently kissed her cheek.

"God girl, what are you doing to me?"

He leaned back to look at her and smiled again. He wanted her. Really wanted her. He found it hard to accept and understand.

Stepping away from her Garrett led Ellie into the lounge and to a sofa. She sat down heavily as though not fully aware of her actions. Garrett stood back and looked at her questioningly. Had he finally managed to enthral her? It certainly looked like it. She was just sitting there staring off into space. Not sure what to do to get her attention Garrett cleared his throat.

"Are you ok?" he asked concern etching his features. "Do you want anything?"

He indicated toward the phone.

Ellie gulped and blinked then looked up at him warily.

"Sorry." She whispered, "Just thinking."

In truth Ellie did not know how to begin to make sense of the thoughts racing around her brain. She felt like she was being bombarded from all sides with images of the information she had gathered and memories of her grandmother. Ideas about 'Cold-ones' and 'Guardians' hurtled around with pictures of graduations and engagement parties. It was like her mind was stuck in a loop, circling through the information as though trying to put it in a semblance of order. She moved as though dazed toward the phone then thought better of it. She didn't want coffee. She headed to the bar and poured herself a glass of wine. Taking a long drink she sat back down with a sigh.

Time to face the music.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked Garrett with resignation colouring her tone. At least now she could stop jumping at shadows.

"Why don't you tell me what you know about vampires?" He asked sitting opposite her to give her space. He frowned as she took another long drink of her wine. He didn't want her to get drunk he needed to get this out of the way while she was sober.

"I don't know anything for certain." She said looking up at him with sad eyes. "All I have are theories and ideas pieced together from what I have learned talking to people. My gut tells me what I think is accurate but I don't KNOW anything."

There were tears in her eyes now. She looked down at her hands while waiting for the next question.

"Why are you looking into the Cullens?"

There it was; the one question she was suddenly afraid to answer. The answer could mean her death. She shook her head slowly, as though refusing to answer would save her.

"Ssh, please don't cry." Garrett said as he suddenly appeared beside her and took her hand gently in his. "I told you I won't hurt you and I meant it. Don't be afraid. I think I know the answer anyway I just need to know what you know."

Looking up from their joined hands and into his earnest eyes Ellie knew he meant every word. Steeling herself with a deep breath she took another long drink and began her tale.

Garrett listened in relative silence to the tale of a happy childhood and loving home that was revealed. He heard how her grandmother had meant everything to the girl before him. He was told how she was snatched away and how Ellie pieced together the clues she found to uncover the truth. He learned about the deaths of others and the connection of them with the Cullen family and he was unsurprised at her determination to get to the bottom of things.

The sun was rising as she finished her story. Ellie was emotionally drained but it was strangely cathartic having got it all off her chest. She felt lighter, like a load she didn't know she was carrying had been lifted from her shoulders. She had no idea what would happen now but she found she was able to face it, at least for now. Garrett had asked only a few questions but she could tell he was surprised by information she gave him. Exhausted by the events of the night Ellie decided to go to bed and leave him to his thoughts. They could discuss it all later.

For his part Garrett was surprised to hear about the deaths surrounding the Cullen clan. He agreed with Ellie's supposition that the funeral home guy and her gran had been killed to keep the secret but the deaths made little sense to him. Who would listen to the ravings of an old woman? They could easily be passed off as dementia or faulty memory, there was no need for her to die. Garrett could only assume there was more to it, but what?

The guy in the funeral home was more understandable, after all he had spoken about the injuries to Edwards's wife. But with no body and no records he had no proof. His accusations could easily be brushed aside. While Garrett might have killed that particular guy it was not Carlisle's style.

Lastly he was shocked to hear that Carlisle had allowed Edward to take a human away on honeymoon at all. He could understand him covering up for his first son, Carlisle had done it several times before, but why had he allowed the situation in the first place? Garrett had to admit the injuries sounded very like a vampire attack. A frenzied vampire attack. The boy had seriously lost it with that girl.

The roses and her ideas about wolf-men bothered him somewhat. Whoever was sending the roses hadn't let go. His money was on Edward. Garrett never really liked him, the boy was far too much of a know-it-all in his opinion. Carlisle spoilt him, never checked his behaviour. He was always sniffing around human girls, fancying himself in love. From what Garrett could remember there had been three, probably more, who he claimed were the love of his life, but who he left.

"Kid has a fucking martyr complex if you ask me." Garrett thought out loud as he stared unseeing out of the window and onto the waking world below.

As far as he knew though none of those 'loves' had died. It might be worth looking into it though. Garrett didn't believe for one second that Edward had ended it all after Bella's death. He liked the attention too much. How they would all fawn over him in his grief and despair. Carlisle would make him the sole focus of his attention for fifty years at least. Garrett chuckled to himself at that image. Still he could feel some pity for the boy. If this Bella had been his mate, and he had killed her, he was probably dead.

The Quileute legends were worrying. Garrett had never come across shape shifters but had no reason to suppose they didn't exist. After all he existed. They were involved in this somehow as well he was sure. The old guy Ellie spoke to practically confirmed her suspicions as well as trying to warn her off. He found himself glad she didn't listen.

Several hours passed while Garrett considered his options. He could tell her everything he knew and thought, then help her with the next step, or he could walk away. He wasn't naïve enough to think this wasn't heading towards a showdown with Carlisle, one she almost certainly would not survive without his help. He found himself angry at the Cullens for their carelessness. Edward knew no better but Carlisle certainly did. He was angry he was now involved and could get caught in the crossfire but mostly he was angry that Ellie had been hurt by them.

Hearing her moving around he realised the decision was made, it had never really been in question. He turned towards the door as she came through and made her way to the sofa. She looked tired and pale, fragile. He found himself wanting to protect this strange human girl. He knew without doubt was going to help her and wherever this took him he would be there, by her side. And that being the case leaving her human was not an option.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi folks, again sorry about the wait.**

 **Hope this chapter makes up for it.**

 **Enjoy!**

When she woke, Eleyne found it hard to believe she had managed to sleep at all. Despite how tired she had been the night before, her mind had been whirling in such a way she was certain she would never be able to silence it.

And yet miraculously she had.

While it was only for a few hours she woke feeling fairly rested and surprisingly optimistic. The cathartic effects of sharing the truth about her current situation had not abated. So much so she was shocked by her own reactions. It was one thing to be convinced in your own mind that Vampires were real. But to have one break into your room and stare at your chest fixatedly, was in Ellie's opinion an extremely surreal experience to say the least. While she could not deny the evidence she had seen with her own eyes, the red irises and the speed, she was still struggling to believe what she saw.

As she stretched out the stiffness of sleep she remembered the flustered and embarrassed behaviour Garrett had been exhibiting around her. He had appeared as out of his depth as she was, which was strange to her as she supposed he must be used to being around humans and women in particular. For some strange reason Ellie found that thought that she could off foot him comforting. She chuckled softly to herself at the memory as she got up and dressed for the day. Once she was ready a feeling of trepidation settled within her. She knew that today was going to change things for her irrevocably, whether for good or bad she was not sure yet. Oddly there was also a small amount of excitement in her that made her stomach flutter and her heart rate pick up as she made her way back into the other room to face him again.

He was staring out of the window apparently lost in his own thoughts. But he turned upon hearing her enter and smiled a soft, warm smile. His eyes, while friendly at first, turned wary and worried, he looked like he was psyching himself up for a something difficult or unpleasant. Ellie's heart sank a little her optimism fading slightly. She sighed, thinking about the possible subjects he was about to broach she decided she didn't want uncomfortable conversations just yet. She wasn't ready to face them or the inevitable decisions they would require. She needed more time.

Before Garrett could speak she took the initiative and allow her some respite from upset.

"Morning Garrett." She said cheerily with a happy smile plastered on her face. "Did you sleep? Did you go back to your room or stay on the couch? It looks quite comfortable."

"Sleep?" He looked shocked. "No, I stayed here. I don't sleep."

"Really!"

"No, not at all." He replied with a smile. "No need for it."

"So what do you do at night?" She was genuinely curious now. "What did you do while I slept?"

"Depends." He answered slowly. "Usually I travel, I move around a lot. I like to watch people too, It can be fun. I read if I get the chance. Hunt. Sometimes enjoy female company." The last one was delivered with a wink and a smug smirk.

"Last night though I just looked out of this window and watched the world go by."

"Oh." She commented bemused.

"What do you hunt?" She asked innocently enough not quite having put two and two together yet.

He just looked at her with a raised eyebrow and waited for her to answer her own question. For a few long seconds she just gazed back expectantly but then comprehension began to dawn on her face.

"Oh." She whispered. She looked down at her hands as they tightly gripped each other. She was embarrassed and not a little scared. Shaking her head at her own stupidity, she berated herself silently. Of course she knew vampires fed on blood all the books and stories said so. It was what they were! But hearing him practically admit it, acknowledge that he was a killer terrified her and swiftly removed any remaining optimism and hope she had managed to cling on to.

Refusing to dwell on that uncomfortable thought or give up on the happiness she had been grasping earlier she rose and moved to the telephone. Swiftly pressing the button for reception she ordered coffee and croissants. Not that she was particularly hungry, especially now, but needed to eat to keep her head clear and her strength up. Besides it would provide a welcome distraction from conversation.

Garrett watched her move with sadness. He had seen the realization of his hunting preferences dawn on her face and the flash of horror she could not quite hide. It saddened him to think she might see him as a monster but he made no apologies for his way of life or his dietary choices. He was what he was and wasn't about to hide that. He wondered why what she might think bothered him at all? He surmised it was something to do with his bumbling relations to her. Try as he might to deny or ignore the fact. He had to conclude that he did, in fact, care what this infuriating human girl thought. It momentarily crossed his mind that she may choose a different diet when turned. He shuddered at the thought. He didn't know where to start with that and doubted she would want to ask Carlisle's help. That might work in his favour though, he mused.

Once her breakfast arrived Ellie asked Garrett to join her at the table while she ate. He sat down slowly, almost reluctantly and wrinkled his nose up at the smell of her food.

"Tell me about yourself Garrett." She asked gently while laughing at the disgusted expression on his face as she ate. "You heard my story last night after all. And don't pull that face I doubt your meals would appear very appetising to me." She added with a cheeky smile.

Relieved with the temporary reprieve from the forthcoming conversation as well as the immediate lightening of the atmosphere caused by her light-hearted quip he launched into the story of his life. How he had been born in Boston, the second son of a respectable, but not wealthy shop owner. He described his childhood in great detail and the relative freedom his hardworking parents gave him and his four siblings.

The vividly detailed description of his youngest sister had Ellie seeing her clear as day in her own mind. It was obvious to her they had been a close and loving family and he had adored his siblings. She found herself envious of his having brothers and sisters, as well as attentive and loving parents. And yet she was not resentful, her childhood had been equally as happy.

He and his brother had run wild in their youth, always getting into some trouble or another. He explained how he had loved to fish. How he found the quiet and solitude wonderful and calming. It was something he had done when he needed space and his mother always praised his efforts when he handed her his catch. He had gone to school of course and learned about the world. His teacher had been a nationalist with revolutionary ideals so Garrett and his brother had grown up hating the English and were determined to do their part as soon as they were able.

He danced around the room with his sister once again in his arms as he told Ellie of the girls wedding. Her marriage to the younger son of a wealthy business man had held the hopes of a bright future for them all. His sister had married for love, a rare occurrence in those days. She had been very beautiful apparently and won the boys heart the moment he laid eyes on her. His older brother had married as well and followed his father into the shop taking on more and more as their father aged and grew infirm.

Garrett explained how he had had no dreams of marriage and none of a wealthy future but the visions in his eyes were those of a soldier fighting his glorious cause. As soon as the war started he ran off to fight. He remembered his mother's tears as he left and his father's barely hidden pride as he joined the revolutionary forces determined to fight hard for the freedom of his home.

Ellie listened with rapt fascination at his animated descriptions of the childhood and home life he remembered. She could she his life through his eyes and like all reminiscences seemed to be idyllic. The pictures he painted enthralled and captivated her to such a degree she was there with him. The images he portrayed of the wars that followed were brutal but no less engrossing. The bloody battles and grizzly tales he wove were morbidly fascinating. While Ellie had obviously learned the facts in her history lessons. Hearing it told from someone who had actually been there was an incredible experience which transported her back in time and made her see that world through his eyes. She could hear the clash of steel, the roar of canon and musket fire, the whistling of bullets as the zipped past her ears. She could see the blood and smoke and smell the sulphur. It was horrific and beguiling in equal measure.

He made her laugh and cry on several occasions and her breakfast was long gone before he finished his tale. At one point she watched amazed as he moved around the room, lost in his own story, describing in astonishing detail his hand to hand battle with a 'Redcoat' Captain. The fight was swift and brutal from what she could tell. It had resulted in the Captain's death and Garrett's severe wounding. It was then he explained being set upon by a vampire who was investigating the battle scene looking for an easy meal. He never knew his sire as the vampire was disturbed by a patrol of 'Redcoats' returning and fled leaving him behind, obviously assuming he was dead.

The patrol took the body of their fallen comrade away but left Garrett where he lay in the bloody mud to succumb to his wounds.

"They checked me, I'm sure they did but they left me there." All the animation and joy left him in an instant. There was no emotion in his voice, he was simply stating a fact. "Clearly they thought I was dead too. But I wasn't, I was in pain but I was aware. I was conscious and still alive." He looked at her as though pleading with her to understand, to believe him.

"Is that how you became a Vampire?" She asked almost timidly.

"Yes, I lay there for three days in agony as the fires of hell burned me alive." He wasn't about to sugar coat things for her.

"Three days?" She gasped out, horrified.

"That's how long the transformation takes. I had no idea of how much time had passed then though, it felt like an eternity."

"What happened when you woke?" She enquired, not really sure she wanted the answer but unable to contain her curiosity. "Did you know what you were?"

"At first I was very confused. Everything was so different. My every sense was heightened. Sight, sound and most of all smell they were all so clear, so vivid it was just too much to handle. But the most overwhelming thing was the thirst that raged in my throat, it was on fire. Like I hadn't drunk anything in months. My instincts were screaming at me to drink and put out the flames. I could focus on nothing but that. I was completely driven by need, an animal in every way. I was frantic, searching for anything to quench my thirst when I caught a scent, the most amazing scent ever, it was totally irresistible and I had no choice at all but to run toward it."

As he described waking from the change and the thirst he had felt his eyes changed from the mirth filled red she had seen all morning to a flat black. She gasped in horror as she watched the colour bleed from one to another and the expression on his face change from one of contemplation to one of pure hunger.

At her gasp he looked at her. His gaze was detached, cold with no trace of humanity visible for her to see. In that moment he was the nightmare creature he claimed to be

Ellie's blood froze in her veins as she slowly stalked toward her. An unhurried gait as though he knew she had nowhere to go. As though he wanted to savour the moment, or play with his food.

"Please" she whispered as he reached her and pulled her to her feet. With surprising gentleness he wrapped his arms around her holding her firmly as she pushed fruitlessly against his chest.

"Please what?" his voice was different, darker somehow and the chuckle that accompanied those words was chilling. The arms around her waist were like steel bands entrapping her securely and try as she might she could not get them to budge.

Ellie began to panic. He was a hunter now and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was his prey. She wracked her brain for something, anything to get her out of what she was certain was a life ending situation.

"Tell me more of your childhood?" She asked in desperation trying in vain to distract him with a happier subject as tears slowly began to run down her cheeks and her body tremble. She knew she was going to die after all and she was terrified.

He chuckled darkly again and ran his nose along her throat as though savouring a fine scent. His hands caressed her back and moved up to push her hair out of the way with a feather light touch that was both menacing and seductive at the same time.

"Please" she whispered in his ear "don't do this."

He made no response this time as he continued to touch and scent her. His touch was so gentle it was shocking, so completely in contrast to the situation. She knew he had completely gone over to his instinctual side, that there was no man there. He was simply the vampire.

The tears were running freely now. She felt so completely hopeless and it hurt all the more for the optimism she had been feeling earlier. She felt foolish and childish to have even entertained the idea that she was safe with him. That she could live through this encounter. For not having realised the dangerousness of the situation earlier while there was still a chance of escape.

She tried again to push against him but it just made him chuckle again and made his arms tighten even more around her. Her heart was hammering frantically in her chest as it galloped toward its impending doom. Her breath was coming in short painful gasps because he was squeezing her ribs painfully in the vice like grip with which he held her.

"No. Please." She sobbed out loud as she felt his lips touch her neck in a caress akin to a lovers. She knew it was over. Would he be sad when he realised what he had done she wondered briefly? When he came back to himself and found her lifeless body in his arms?

"I forgive you." She whispered and gently kissed his cheek before she closed her eyes and waited for the bite that would end her life.

There was no fight left in her.

Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that she needed to be still. She had watched enough natural history documentaries to know that fighting and running brought out the hunter instincts even more, so she tried to force her rigid body to relax in his embrace. Hoping and praying it would hurt less that way. That it would be quick. She finally let her mind go blank.

Her lips on his cheek moved gently towards his own neck as her arms rose to stroke his arms and her fingers entwine themselves in his hair. His grip lessened slightly and his own lips began to make their way up her throat.

His hands moved slowly over her back as his mouth continued its torturously slow path along her jaw toward her mouth. Ellie's eyes flashed open in shock when she felt his lips on her own in a firm but gentle kiss. But she had no time to process the emotions she felt before her body took over once again and she kissed him back with fervour.

The kiss seemed to last for an eternity as their hands explored each other. She gripped his hair hard as his hand found her breast above her shirt. The chuckle that sounded from him was equally as dark as before and no less frightening despite the apparent change in mood. She wondered briefly if this was just further torment and he would still kill her. Another dark chuckle as she squirmed in his grasp told her the truth.

Yes he would.

Garrett ripped the fabric away from her chest in a swift motion before moving his lips back down her throat toward her shoulders. She froze again when they returned to the pulse point in her neck and she heard as well as felt him inhale deeply. But the shudder that ran through her body that time had nothing to do with fear. She was so turned on it was almost painful.

She was clearly a weirdo.

'But what a way to go!' She mused as his hand began to trail down her stomach toward her jeans.

That thought made her chuckle herself and snapped Garrett's gaze up to her face. Their eyes met in a long silent look. The only noise was the sound of her ragged breathing. His eyes were still flat black. No emotion showed itself in them. The only indication that his intentions might have changed was currently pressing itself against her just at her waist.

Giving in to the overwhelming desire that coursed through her Ellie pulled his face towards her once again and kissed his lips with a passion she had never experienced before. From that moment on she was lost. She was almost frantic in her efforts to remove his shirt. He seemed to become almost as impatient as she was when he ripped their clothes apart with frightening ease, leaving them both naked. She should have been terrified by that display of strength but it only fuelled Ellie's desire further.

His mouth began a slow trek down her body to her breast causing her to feel like she was erupting in flames. His fingers covered every inch of her burning skin in a cooling touch that ignited so much more than it soothed.

Feeling him lift her she wrapped her legs around his waist. He was kissing her with passion as one hand held her up while the other caressed her skin with a tenderness she did not expect and a confidence she found irresistible.

Knowing how precarious her situation was she let go of her inhibitions completely and gave herself over to the sensations of his touch with complete abandon. Desire course through her as in a completely uncharacteristic move, she lowered herself onto him slowly, teasingly until he was completely enveloped within her. His growl of desire sent tremors of pleasure through her own body as she rocked in place, causing him to growl further. She could feel his muscles tense beneath her fingers, she could sense his strength and his tightly restrained but deadly passion. She knew she was still in a very dangerous position and that made her almost desperate with need.

Before she could register the movement she felt him lay her on her bed and his deliciously heavy weight settle above her. His grip on her hip was almost painful as her held her tightly and thrust into her again and again. Pulling his head toward her again she kissed him in desperation as she allowed his mouth to smother her cries of ecstasy while a climax, the like of which she had never experienced, before ripped through her body.

Her body went limp and felt boneless after the intensity of her orgasm. As he continued to chase his own, she could do nothing but hold on as his movements sped up. His mouth returned to her throat and she felt his teeth graze her skin.

"Oh god" was all she could gasp out as he jerked erratically above her and lifted his head to cry out as he was overcome by his own climax.

His eyes were still black as they met her gaze. He looked down at her as she struggled to get her breath back with a smile that was chilling. With a touch both tender and threatening he ran a finger down her face, between her eyes, over her nose and to her lips. Tears sprang into her eyes once again as she recognised his expression, it was hungry and dark. His finger was replaced by his hand over her mouth, silencing her scream as he bent his head and sank his teeth into her throat.


	10. Chapter 10

**Here it is at last.**

 **Hope you enjoy it.**

The warm, sweet blood flowed down his throat in a continuous, smooth stream. His eyes closed in pleasure as he revelled in the sensations he was experiencing. Never before had he tasted blood like this. Perhaps it tasted so good because wasn't especially thirsty, instead of taking greedy gulps for sustenance, so he was able to drink slowly and savour it as a connoisseur would a fine wine. He felt sated and content.

Well almost!

Something was pawing at the back of his mind trying to get his attention and failing, something didn't feel quite right.

As he took another unhurried pull of the sweet nectar his mind wandered over the last moments. He tried to clear his mind and to find his way back through the blood-lust induced red haze that had descended when he remembered the thirst he had felt upon awakening as a vampire.

His recounting the tale of being turned and the memory of that first, initial thirst he felt had been incredible, he had felt the burn as if it was real. The human before him had become perfect prey as the monster within him had taken over and all rational thought had left him. The human girl had fed his appetites perfectly.

Another slow pull and he thought back to the retelling of his story as he listened to the gradual slowing of her heart. She was unconscious now, no longer struggling. Not that she had struggled much to begin with. She had been almost accepting of her fate, perhaps even welcomed it in some strange way. He smiled to himself as he remembered telling the story of his childhood, how she had responded, her laughter and smiles.

Her smile.

It had warmed him and filled a hole he didn't know existed inside him. The memory brought contentment. Her smile brought an excitement he had never known, it awoke something deep within him he didn't know was there.

Her smile.

Her ….

Ellie!

"Oh fuck!"

He snatched his mouth away from her neck as the realisation of his actions slammed into him like a freight train. The blood, that sweet taste was her. He had promised her she was safe, he had decided that she would be turned. And he had attacked her at the first sign of thirst. An icy lump of horror settled in the pit of his stomach as a feeling of supreme self-loathing smothered him like a wretched blanket.

"Oh no." He whispered as he looked at the pale, lifeless face of the girl in his arms. "What have I done?"

He felt physically sick. Like he did on the odd occasions he had been forced to consume human food. Hurtling from the bed he flew to the bathroom and promptly evacuated the contents of his stomach into the toilet. That once sweet, rich blood now burning acid as it was violently rejected from his spasm wracked body.

"My god" he wept and he cradled his head in his hands. His heart was breaking and he had no idea why. He retched again and again trying desperately to calm his panic. He could not understand why he felt such terrible guilt over the death of this human. He never had before. He had liked the girl, yes, but this was an extreme reaction.

He sat back and rested his head against the cool tiles trying feverishly to regain a semblance of control over his thoughts and feelings. He needed to get himself together and cover his tracks. Holding his un-needed breath to quiet every possible noise he closed his eyes, he tried valiantly to get a mental grip on himself and concentrate. In the silence he allowed his mind to go blank, to drift and come to terms with his emotions.

But it couldn't go blank.

It wasn't silent.

In the background was an almost indecipherable soft thump. Slow, rhythmical and getting slower. It disturbed his concentration and demanded his attention. It was annoying him considerably.

What was it?

He couldn't block it out, the more he tried the louder it seemed to get until it was all he could hear, all he could think about. He covered his ears and roared in frustration. The incessant noise reminded him so much of a heartbeat it fuelled his guilt even further. He was almost convinced he was imagining it. After all Ellie was dead wasn't she. He had killed her.

"FUCK!"

He threw himself out of the bathroom ripping part of the door frame off in his haste and flew back into the bedroom only to jerk to a halt at the foot of the bed. For the first time he truly took in the sight before him and was horrified by what he saw.

Eleyne lay naked on the bed, her beautiful hair spread out on the pillows, her eyes closed and her lips, which were turning blue, were slightly parted. There were bruises forming on her hips and waist as well as her breasts. The bite mark on her neck was slowly oozing blood out to mingle with her hair in a grotesque tableau. She looked deathly pale and still, yet his vampiric eyesight could detect the shallowest rise and fall of her chest as she took barely perceptible breaths. He could hear the slow beat of her heart.

It was slowing.

"What have I done?" He asked again with a choking sob. She was dying. There was no venom in her system as it was leaking out with her precious blood onto the pillows.

"No" he growled with a surge of determination.

He was not going to just stand by and watch her die. He bit down hard on her neck, the other side to the one he had been feeding from, and pushed as much of his venom into her as possible. His throat roared into flame again at the taste of her blood but he fought it down, suppressing it totally. Knowing he had to keep her heart going until the venom could work its way there he started tentative chest compressions as her heart beat began to stutter.

"Come on Ellie," He pleaded as he pushed down on her torso. "don't give in."

She sank into the bed and he cursed under his breath. If the situation hadn't been quite so dire he would have laughed at his own clumsy attempts at playing the hero. The inept saviour trying desperately to save the damsels precious life. Carefully he lifted her and laid her gently on the floor and as her heart beat stuttered again he resumed his efforts at keeping it going. After a few moments, but that felt to Garrett like hours, he heard a sharp crack and realised he had probably broken some of her ribs.

"Shit!"

Cursing he stopped and listened, holding his breath in panic.

Her heart beat stuttered.

"Come on girl" he whispered desperately. "You ca do this. You can make it. Fight!"#

 _Thump!_

"Come on!" he screamed in frustration. "FIGHT! Fight for life! Fight for YOUR life. Fight for me! Fight for whatever you want just FIGHT!"

 _Thump, thump!_

"That's it! Come on you can do this"

 _Thump, thump …_

"Please baby, please fight!"

 _Thump.. Thump, thump_

If he could he would have wept as her heart started to speed up.

The venom had made it.

He let out the breath he was holding in a loud huff of relief and flopped down in an ungraceful heap beside her. The release he felt was palpable, he had done it! Garrett looked down at the girl with mixed feelings. He had never wanted the responsibility of a new born before. While he had decided he would turn her, this was all a little too sudden for him. He also felt like a complete bastard for having gotten into this mess in the first place. He was incredibly ashamed of the fact he had lost control and bitten the girl. He was also deeply mortified at his behaviour before that. He knew he had not forced himself on her but it had been a close run thing. Never before had he treated a woman that way and he knew he had let himself down greatly. Ellie must have been terrified and that thought alone filled him with shame.

He was beginning to realise that she was more to him that just a pretty human girl, certainly nothing like the women he seduced. He was not sure exactly what she was to him but he was aware she was important. He had always avoided feeding on women if he could help it. His upbringing as a child had ingrained on him that women were to be protected and respected. He could never bring himself to willingly choose a female victim. Occasionally he had lost control and killed the woman he was having sex with but they were never afraid, they were having a good time and had no idea what was happening. He could only hope that Ellie would forgive him, he had no doubt she was going to give him a hard time though.

He was brought abruptly out of his internal debate by the piercing scream of pain Ellie let loose as the burn of the transformation took hold. With his ears ringing he covered her mouth with his hand to stop the subsequent cries he knew would follow. Drawing the attention of the nearby humans would not be a good idea now. But he could not just stay there for the next three days. Galvanised into action Garrett knew he had to make arrangements for when she awoke and that meant getting out of the hotel for starters.

Ellie was beginning to thrash around. Holding her as tightly as possible without causing more damage he picked her up and laid her back on the bed. In movements far faster than a human could see he wrapped her tightly in the sheets as though swaddling a baby and propped her up between the pillows hoping it would keep her from moving too much. As she filled her lungs to let out another ear-splitting scream he gently gagged her with a piece of cloth torn from the pillowcase.

Her eyes flashed open in alarm and he was sure he saw the shock of recognition in them.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart." He whispered. "I know this is not necessarily what you wanted it's not the way I wanted it either. I wanted to give you time. I'm so sorry about my behaviour as well, it was inexcusable. I'll do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

He stroked her face gently as he looked into her eyes earnestly willing her to believe him.

"I know it is unbearable but it will pass. I promise I will take care of you, I'll help you and stay with you as long as you need me, as long as you want me." He kissed her gently on the lips and she quietened a little. "You need to try and be quiet for me baby. Until I can get us out of here. I'll get things arranged as quickly as I can. Please baby, please try and understand."

He wasn't sure if she could understand him or not but he hoped she could. Having never turned anyone before and having had next to nothing to do with new-born vampires Garrett was at something of a loss as to what to do. Looking down at the tightly swaddled Eleyne he thought back over his own turbulent first few years as a vampire and shuddered. He had been wild and uncontrolled. He had raged around the battlefields of America picking off people at will. He had at least had sense enough to keep himself hidden from the humans. But that had been more from fear of what he might do than any other concerns.

When he had gotten over his first thirst and looked at the sight of devastation before him he had been horrified. He had found himself covered head to toe in blood surrounded by the bloody body parts of what turned out to be a family that had been travelling the road he just happened to wake up near. Mother, Father and two sons had been butchered before he had even registered the first screams. He had realised then that he was not as he had been, he was some sort of monster. As he stood over the grave he had just filled he had vowed in that moment never to lose control so completely again. It had been hard but he had managed, until now.

Thankfully he had been intelligent enough to realise fairly quickly what would trigger that unbearable thirst and what he needed to do to avoid repeating his mistakes. Meeting others of his kind had confirmed his own suspicions about what he now was and about the rules of his kind. He was grateful to learn he hadn't broken any and was content to be off the radar of the Volturi. Over the years he had come to terms with what he was and what he had to do to survive, he had even found a certain amount of joy in the new life he had. He had made friends, he hadn't been unhappy or lonely or had any regrets at all, but now he realised that something had been sadly lacking and he strongly suspected that that something was Eleyne.

As quickly as possible he dressed and then began moving around the room packing up all of Ellie's belongings. He wasn't going to make her disappear just yet, that didn't feel right to him. He would give her the choice when she was rational, until then he would force nothing else on her. That immediately brought to mind the question of her diet. Would she choose animals or humans? He really hoped she would be guided by him and go for humans but had a sneaking suspicion that she would want to try animals. He almost gagged again at the thought and knew without a shadow of a doubt this was going to be hard.

He carefully cleaned and repaired the rooms as best he could, deciding to simply steal the bloody bed clothes and dispose of them later rather than take the time to do so now. He dressed Ellie in a cool, floaty dress which he found amongst her clothes as he packed. He didn't want to carry her about naked but knew clothing was irritating during the change, he hoped the light dress would be as bearable as possible. Her cries had lessened although she still whimpered and groaned in pain. There were tears running down her cheeks which made him suspect she understood what was happening. Garrett had tried to talk to her and explain but found himself at a loss for words and unable to justify his actions. Sorry just didn't seem enough. He had told her to cling to her memories, as many as she could. He could only hope it worked and that at some level beyond the pain Ellie had heard and understood him.

Once he had packed everything in Ellie's room he headed to his own and quickly changed his clothes and gathered the few belongings he had before returning to the transforming human. Sitting beside her on the bed he took her hand in his, it felt so small and fragile yet still warm. He was amazed by the feeling of comfort that small act gave him; he could only hope it gave her some measure of the same. As he sat he wracked his brain to come up with a plan that would work and keep them both safe. He needed somewhere remote where she could be a new born and cause havoc without drawing the attention of the human world.

In reality Garrett was at a complete loss as to how to care for a new vampire, he had little or no experience of them and doubted he had ever even met one that he hadn't fought and killed. The youngest he knew he had met were Carlisle's brood and they were a decade or so old by then. He could however remember his own lack of control, the almost unbearable thirst and the ever present rage that had consumed his early years as a vampire. He remembered having incredible difficulty in controlling his speed and strength, finding the most normal of activities hard. He was an excellent fighter but would that help? He might be able to restrain her but that would be about it and really the thought of restraining and fighting with her left him cold. The thought of navigating his way through her new born rages and violent explosions were leaving him in a mild but ever increasing panic.

Dragging his melancholy thoughts back to the more immediate problem he knew he needed a car and somewhere to hide out. But where? He briefly toyed with the idea of calling Carlisle and getting some advice and or help but he suspected that the idea Carlisle was helping them, even if he wasn't there, would make Ellie a very angry new born. That was something he wanted to avoid at all costs, he liked his appendages where they were and he had an idea she would be feisty enough anyway without the extra provocation.

The Cullens. That raised a whole new set of problems that had Garrett feeling as if he was getting a headache for the first time in a few hundred years. He had no idea how to broach the subject that he knew them in a way that would not cause Ellie to try and rip him apart or charge off to rip them apart at the first given opportunity. He knew he was going to have to tell her, he really wished he had told her before he lost it and bit her. Not for the first time that day he berated himself for his total lack of control.

The sun was starting to dip in the sky making him realise he had been sitting stroking Ellie's hand for a couple of hours. He also realised to his horror he was no nearer to finding a solution to his problems that he had been when he sat down. Forcing himself to drop her hand and rise he walked over to the window and tried once again to get his thoughts into some semblance of order.

Ellie's laptop was in its bag amongst the luggage that was packed and waiting. Garrett retrieved it and switched it on. He was going to search for cottage rentals and cars. He had no specific destination in mind. He knew he needed somewhere out of the way, looking at the nearby parks and forests he got a few ideas but most were booked up already. By the time he had spent several hours looking and found a fifth unavailable cabin he was ready to just steal a car drive into the woods and wait under a tree for his girl to wake up. He was just about to give up when there was a knock on the door. With a growl of frustration at this unwelcome interruption he carefully closed the bedroom door and went to greet the clearly nervous human waiting outside the room.

"Yes" he answered gruffly not wanting to encourage conversation.

"I have a message for you sir it was brought to the reception." The, almost trembling in fear, boy said as he handed Garrett a brown padded envelope before scurrying away down the corridor toward the lift as fast as he could without running. Garrett chuckled to himself as he watched the boy disappear. It always amused him at how easy it was to engender terror in the humans around him. Closing the door once again he returned to the bedroom where Ellie had been moving and loosened the sheet that was wound tightly around her. He stroked the hair back from her flushed face carefully and whispered to her how well she was doing and how it would end soon. Soon was a relative term he told himself. She had about two days to go, not long at all in human terms but he knew that it would feel like forever to Ellie.

Turning his attention back to the envelope in his hands he looked at it carefully, unsure whether to open it or not. He was suspicious, no one knew he was here and the boy had said it was for him. That could have been a mistake due to the kid being scared witless Garrett reasoned. It was probably intended for Ellie, he reasoned but decided to open it anyway, just in case.

The envelope contained two keys and a few of sheets of paper. The keys appeared to be for a vehicle and a lock, possibly a door. On one sheet of paper was a route mapped to a small cabin in the Algonquin Provincial Park about eight hours away and it looked remote enough for his needs. There was also a hand written note.

 _Leave tonight._

 _She will wake in about 40 hours._

 _She'll be fine, quite calm really._

 _We'll get there in a week or so_

 _to help you both out._

 _No one will know._

He raised the paper to his nose and sniffed it carefully. There was a scent there that he recognised. It was faint but definite. The problem was… Could he trust that person to help? He did not believe he had any real enemies so Garrett did not believe that the cabin would turn out to be a trap and on paper it was certainly the answer to his prayers. He decided that he didn't have a great deal of choice really so after a quick explanation to Ellie he made his way down to the reception to check them both out.

It took a great deal of Garrett's thrall talent to get the silly girl on the night reception to agree to check them both out. She had been adamant she needed Eleyne to confirm her wish to leave. He had fought hard to keep both his impatience and ever growing temper in check as he explained to the witless woman the situation that Ellie was ill and wanted to leave. Quietly. Tonight.

The receptionist eventually agreed after he had 'thrown' almost everything he had at her. He could only surmise that his haste and panic were reducing the effects of his thrall. As he walked away the receptionist had a vacant, dreamy expression on her face that made Garrett wonder if the thrall ability could cause brain damage in humans. He decided however, that he didn't really care as it was that or kill the unfortunate woman for being in his way.

Returning to the room he grabbed the bags and very quickly made his was down to the hotel car park where the sound of locks opening at the switch on the key told him which vehicle was there for his use. He stowed the bags in the back and shot up to the room to recover Ellie. She was clearly distressed at being trussed up and gagged but was reasonably calm at that moment. He whispered to her constantly about what was happening as he gathered her gently into his arms, along with the bloody bedding which he would dispose of later, and carried her swiftly through the silent hotel corridors to the car.

The clock on the dash said five to midnight as he arranged Eleyne in the passenger seat to look like she was sleeping. He didn't dare loosen her bonds yet as he had a boarder to cross and a long drive with a flailing around passenger in the dead of night was sure to draw the wrong kind of attention. He apologised to her again and again as he fastened her in and took his own seat. Then with one last look at the girl, he now admitted he loved, he stroked her face tenderly before sending a quiet prayer skyward asking for a safe journey, he started the car and disappeared into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The drive to the cabin had taken roughly six and a half hours. Garrett had driven like a man possessed in his haste to get Ellie to the cabin and settled. Once he arrived he gently carried her inside and looked around. It was a fair sized cabin made of timber with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and living room. The kitchen was small but he didn't care about that as no one would be cooking. The furniture in the house was what he would describe as 'rustic'. Lots of wood. The sofas and chairs in the front room looked comfortable enough and smelled freshly cleaned. There was a large mahogany dining table in the living room and for a split second he was picturing Ellie lying naked on top of it while he attended to her every whim.

"Mmm" he mused as her carried the now struggling human toward the largest bedroom. "Wonder how much of this furniture will be intact when we leave?"

The bedroom housed a large mahogany sleigh bed clothed in crisp white sheets. Again it smelled clean and fresh which was welcome and he was suddenly overcome with mental images of the two of them rolling around on the huge bed. With a wry smile to himself he realised that that particular fantasy as well as the table top one were not likely any time soon. He strongly suspected that the only furniture broken would be by her temper and not their sexcapades.

Looking down at Ellie he observed she looked something of a mess. Her hair was still bloody as were her face, chest and clothes from where she had been thrashing around initially. Murmuring a quiet apology he stripped her completely and gently laid her in a cool bath so he could clean her up fully.

He very gently washed her from head to toe. He rinsed her hair again and again to ensure it was clean, partly because of his guilt over his actions but mostly because he didn't want the scent of her blood distracting her when she awoke. The cool water must have been soothing because her body relaxed slightly when submerged and she ceased her struggling. He was able to clean her up without having to restrain her too much. Garrett also kept up a steady stream of conversation with Ellie. Reminding her of everything she had told him about herself. Telling her time and again to remember her childhood, her happy memories. He wanted her to retain her memories but he was also trying to distract himself from the fact she was naked and in his arms. The last thing he wanted to do was to be drawn into making another huge mistake with her.

Once she was washed, dried and dressed he laid her on the bed and gently removed the gag. They were in the middle of nowhere, with no one to hear them. She could scream to her hearts content if she so wished. And scream she did. The first ear splitting shriek ripped through the air and he felt sure it perforated his ear drums. Surprisingly though after only a few screams she seemed to give up and lock herself down. Her whole body went rigid and still. The only sounds she made were whimpers and groans of pain as her lips were tightly clamped together. He sat down on the bed beside her and took her tightly clenched fist in his hands. He tried to gently ease his hand into the fist so she could grip it and was shocked to find she did so with unusual strength. Her eyes were tightly squeezed shut as wave after wave of pain washed over her.

"Oh Ellie," he whispered in a voice filled with remorse and guilt. "I'm so sorry. I really wish I could take the pain away. I wish I could just snap my fingers and it would all be over."

She whimpered softly but otherwise did not respond causing him to sigh and kiss the back of her hand.

"I am sorry. I'll keep saying it until you believe me, until you trust me."

He lay down beside her and gently rubbed her arm in the hope his coolness would be soothing for her burning body. He resolved to stay there with her for the duration of her transformation; something he calculated would take roughly another two days.

The two days passed more quickly than Garrett anticipated. He spent a great deal of the time with Ellie, trying to keep her calm and cool. He found himself fascinated by the changes happening to her. Her skin became smoother and flawless. The cute freckles that had dusted her nose disappeared as did the tiny scar on her cheek. Her eyelashes grew and thickened, her hair did the same, accentuating the reddish tones and developing more of a curl and a deeper shine. It now looked like she had just stepped off the set of a shampoo commercial. The cracked and split nails, damage caused by her clawing at him no doubt, repaired as though she had just had a manicure. Her body itself didn't change much, just appeared slightly more toned, not that she had been out of shape before.

As she transformed Garrett told Ellie about what she was becoming. He spoke about the strength and speed she would have, about the heightened senses that can at first be overwhelming and he spoke about the thirst she would feel. He wanted her as prepared as possible for what was to come, although he wasn't at all sure she would understand what he was saying due to the pain she was in he had to hope for the best.

Eventually Ellie's heart began to stutter and slow down. Garrett moved away from her to the doorway. He didn't want to crowd her on waking but wanted to be able to head her off should she try to make a run for it.

Her heart beat its last desperate thud and time seemed to stand still. He took that moment to admire the beautiful new-born in front of him but he said nothing. He just waited, rather impatiently, for her to open her eyes. Now that the moment was finally upon him he found himself both eager and nervous in equal measure. He had to resist the urge to fidget and tap his fingers. He wanted to jump up and down on the spot like an excited child. Instead he tried to look as relaxed as possible and stayed completely still while he waited. He could not tear his eyes away from her as she opened her own.

To Ellie it felt like an eternity of agony was now over. She remembered clearly Garrett's voice explaining what had happened and what was going on. She recalled him telling her to cling to her memories of her family and her past. She had fought hard to think around the pain and concentrate on recollecting everything that was important to her. She found that now her heart had beaten its last and the pain was gone she was not afraid or shocked. She was a vampire now, fast and strong apparently. She could smell so many different scents like the polish that had been used on the furniture and the wax on the floor, the fabric softener from the sheets and the faint scent of smoke from the fire in the other room. There was also a scent she found hard to place, it was warm and comforting and made her feel safe. She took deep un-needed breathes to gather more of the scent and commit it to memory.

She could also hear so many different sounds, wind rustling in the trees outside, the slow drip of the kitchen tap. The crackle of leaves underfoot as a deer walked on them a few miles away, and beyond that she could just about make out the sounds of a stream babbling over rocks. Although she was desperate to open her eyes and see how different her vision was she kept them closed and kept herself still in order to process everything so far. Garrett had been right when he said it could be overwhelming and she was determined not to be dazed by everything.

Eventually after several moments processing everything she opened her eyes to take in the next new experience. There were tiny dust particles that hung all around her in the air. The minute cracks on the ceiling, invisible to human eyes, were fascinating to her. In her peripheral vision she saw the walls of the room with all their imperfections and as her eyes moved from left to right she saw a tiny spider in the corner of the room spinning its gossamer web. She could see a tiny smudge on the mirror which had been created when cleaning and the miniscule beads of glue in the corners of the frame.

Her skin prickled as she felt the air around her move from a light draft at the window. Turning her head to see where it was coming from she spotted Garrett standing by the door. Her new eyes took in his form as her leaned against the doorframe looking relaxed and comfortable. He was smiling at her, his hair was dark but now she could see individual strands of red and black mixed in with the varying shades of brown. He was mesmerising, she found herself being pulled towards him by invisible, unbreakable threads. Sitting up to get a better look she looked into his smiling eyes and gasped at the intensity she saw there. They were pleading and appraising, filled with longing and hope.

His eyes were red, the deep red she remembered from before. They evoked memories of laughter and of feeling content. She stared into the fiery orbs and could not tear her own away. Ellie recalled him saying hers would scarlet be as well, even brighter than his because of her own blood in her body. Were they equally mesmerising she wondered?

So if hers were red from her blood then his were red from drinking blood she mused as she looked at him.

He was a vampire who drank blood.

He had drunk her blood she remembered.

He had terrified her, almost killed her.

Suddenly she was filled with the most explosive of rages. Pure fury gripped her as she remembered the last moments of her human life.

"You Bastard!" She screamed as she launched across the room.

Garrett had watched Eleyne take deep breaths and he knew she was trying to process the new, stronger scents around her. He guessed she was also trying to get the sounds into some semblance of order before opening her eyes. He had warned her it could be very overwhelming at first and was glad to find she was taking her time. When her eyes opened he stayed very still and gazed, transfixed as she took it the new sights for the first time. She appeared controlled but he was aware it would not take much for her to flip and he wanted to keep her as calm as possible.

When she finally looked his way he was rendered speechless. The striking red of her eyes was not what took his breath away but the feeling of completeness which astounded him.

She was his mate!

After all these centuries of wandering alone, he had finally found her.

He was overjoyed to see she too appeared to feel the pull towards him. He desperately wanted to take her in his arms and hold her forever. He couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face as they looked at each other.

He adored her.

She was perfect, she was beautiful.

She was .. angry!

He saw the exact moment her feelings changed from longing to fury but he had been so busy congratulating himself on his lovely mate he had not registered it until she shrieked at him and launched herself across the room to attack.

He had barely a fraction of a second to brace himself as the two bodies collided and were propelled backwards through the door and down the corridor towards the front room, dragging broken floor boards and pieces of door frame along in their wake. Her initial assault had knocked him onto his back straight away but he had managed to grab onto her and pull her along with him. Their slide stopped abruptly as they crashed through the wall of the living room and landed outside in the dirt.

Flipping them easily he pinned her legs with his own and tried to grab at the hands that were frantically trying to claw at his face. Ducking his head to avoid the onslaught he struggled to restrain the flailing limbs. She was screaming at him, mostly it was unintelligible but he gathered it was because she remembered her final human moments and that filled him with guilt.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart." He said once he got her hands under control. "Please calm down so we can talk."

Ellie was shocked to find herself outside in the blink of an eye. She had known she would now be fast but this was incredible. She had barely thought about attacking Garrett and here she was trying to claw his face off. The speed at which everything happened made her head spin and while she knew what was happening she struggled to grasp it all the same. In almost a blink and long before her thoughts could process it, she found herself pinned beneath him as he tried to confine her arms, much as he appeared to have her legs. Being pinned down brought back the feelings of hopelessness and desperation from before he had bitten her and set off a torrent of abuse from her lips. She was shocked at herself and that alone distracted her from her struggles and gave him the opportunity to gain the upper hand and grab her arms pinning them to the ground. She lifted her hips sharply in an effort to dislodge him but it did no good. He had her captured and was talking to her apologising again and again while pleading with his eyes for her to listen and understand.

Being unable to free herself Ellie to a deep breath in order to calm herself and come up with an idea to get out of the situation she was in. The breath did calm her slightly and she smelled again that wonderful perfume from before and began to relax. It must be his scent she mused as she took yet another deep breath, they were in such close proximity his scent was stronger and even more appealing. She found herself wishing she could just say there and breathe him in as her thoughts turned from attack to more amorous encounters.

Ellie could not understand herself. Her feelings seemed to be on a hair trigger and changed faster than her mind could keep up. In less than a minute she had gone from calm to furious to amorous. It made her thought whirl into a jumbled mess, she just didn't seem to be able to get anything straight in her mind for more than a second. It was infuriating and extremely annoying.

She let loose a vicious growl of frustration and at the sound ceased all her struggles immediately, unable to believe that noise came from her.

The look on Ellie's face after she growled at him was, in Garrett's humble opinion, priceless. Where seconds before she had been snapping and baring her teeth, she was now staring up at him with startled wide eyes and her mouth open in shock. It was comical and he fought down the chuckles that threatened to erupt from him. He had her attention now and laughing at her would certainly ruin the moment.

"It's ok sweetheart. It's normal to be confused and frustrated." He whispered "You'll feel better after you feed. Let me help you."

Unable to stop himself he ran his nose up the column of her throat, there was no pulse point or scent of blood to distract him, just the delicious scent of his mate. He moaned softly in appreciation before forcing himself up and away from her. It would not do to get carried away again.

Her eyes were filled with confusion and questions. There was also fear there and he couldn't really blame her for that. Getting to his feet he held a hand toward her and helped her up.

"We need to find you something to drink Ellie. I know we never got the chance to discuss it before but you have a choice about what you feed on. Animals or humans?"

Ellie growled again at the reminder of just how little they had discussed. She had of course known he drank blood but somehow it never occurred to her that she would have to as well. She knew what she was and knew she would need blood but quickly balked at the idea of humans. However before she could vocalise her thoughts the reminder of needing to feed brought her thirst to the forefront. Her throat erupted in flames and was burning so much she grabbed it in pain.

"Oh baby!" Garrett whispered as he realised what had happened. "I can help."

"So humans?"

Ellie shook her head emphatically.

"Ok animals?" Garrett sighed quietly, he had just known this would happen. "Come on then let's see what we can find."

He took her hand gently and led her into the trees before breaking into a run. As they ran he kept glancing back at his companion. She was grinning from ear to ear, she looked really happy, as though she was having a great time. He remembered back to when he was new and discovered his speed for the first time. He had whooped and hollered like a loon while flashing through the trees. He loved it and suspected all vampires did. Looking at Ellie it would certainly appear that this was the case.

After running for a few minutes Garrett crossed a scent he recognised as deer that was fresh and stopped. He pulled Ellie to stand in front of him and had an immediate reaction to her proximity which was both embarrassing and unwelcome at that point. Hoping against hope she hadn't noticed he stepped back slightly and taking a deep breath checked to see if he could smell any humans nearby. When he didn't he pulled Ellie in front of him.

"Do you smell that?"

Ellie was straining to get away, to follow the enticing scent. She didn't know what it was but she wanted it, needed it with a desperation she had never felt before.

"Just follow your instincts." He whispered in her ear. "I'll be close by."

He released his hold on her arms and she needed no further prompting. Taking off like a bullet she flashed after the scent. It got stronger and stronger until suddenly she was flying through the air before taking long deep gulps of a warm liquid that put out the flames in her throat. When she was eventually sated she sat up and looked around her. There were four deer carcasses scattered around but they weren't exactly whole anymore. She was covered from head to foot in blood, fur and mud. There were leaves, twigs and dirt in her hair and somewhere along the way she had managed to lose a shoe.

She was a mess.

"Oh god!" she gasped at the scene before her. "What have I done?"

"That's nothing sweetheart." Garrett chuckled at her mortified expression. "You should see the state of the house!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for all the reviews.**

The house looked just as bad as Garrett had claimed. There was a long furrow of ripped up floor boards which ran from a hole in the front door right through the house to a much larger hole where the bedroom door should have been. Ellie put her head in her hands and groaned in mortification at the sight.

"What did I do?" She exclaimed in horror as she took in the damage she had caused.

"You did what all new born vampires do sweetheart, you flipped." Garrett quipped while not even trying to keep a straight face.

She growled at him in irritation. The look on her face was in his humble opinion priceless. She looked horrified, embarrassed and angry all at once, kind of like an angry kitten when its toy didn't play properly. This of course made Garrett laugh all the louder.

She looked up at him with a glare which only served to increase his mirth. Looking down at the state her clothes were in, no doubt her hair and face were equally as bad, she supposed he was right and had to agree she probably looked fairly silly, especially considering she currently resembled an extra in a cheesy, slasher, horror movie.

"Oh come on sweetheart it is funny really." He said, a broad smile covering his face. "Don't worry I'll have all this fixed up in no time."

She shook her head in dismay as she walked through the wrecked front door and into the cabin. Looking around her for the first time she took in the room. It was nice. Rustic, snug and comfortable, just the kind of thing she liked. She would have enjoyed a short break in a place like this. But that thought made her sad, this wasn't going to be a short relaxing break, she had no idea how long she would be there but understood it was until she was used to her new form and could control herself.

Ellie had no idea what the future would hold now, she couldn't help wondering where she would go and what she would do when she finally did leave there. Would she be alone for centuries like Garrett had? She bowed her head in sadness. The speed her moods were changing had her struggling to keep up as well as being highly confusing.

Sensing her sudden change of mood Garrett wrapped an arm gently and slowly around her shoulders. She was still very new after all and he didn't want to lose an arm because he was careless.

"Don't get upset." He whispered softly. "We have a lot to talk about, and lots to decide. It'll be alright though. I can fix this up in no time."

He wasn't sure why she was suddenly upset. It could be the mess or it could be something else. He was trying to hedge his bets and offer comfort without pissing her off again. He felt like he was walking a knife edge just now, not sure which way to lean to keep him upright.

"Why don't you go and get cleaned up." He suggested gently. "I'll get this all fixed while you do then we can talk."

Ellie nodded her head slowly but didn't answer him. She wanted to be alone to think as well as get cleaned up so she did as he suggested and headed though to the bathroom.

"Just remember to take your time and concentrate on what you are doing." Garrett called out as she entered the room. "You are very strong just now and might crush things by accident. Just call if you need help."

Ellie didn't respond again but looked around the room in something of a panic. It hadn't occurred to her that she might break things, that she was stronger now, but of course she was, look at the damage she had caused before. Did she need help then? That thought made her blanch. She certainly wasn't ready to have him in there with her. She knew of course he had seen her naked, they had slept together and he had obviously cleaned her up and dressed her. She just wasn't sure what to think and was suddenly nervous about it all. She would not be asking for help though. No, she'd just have to take her time and manage.

Remembering the damage she had caused unconsciously, everything in the room suddenly looked so fragile, so easy to break. Taking a shower rapidly seemed such a daunting prospect that she almost decided to not bother and go out and find a river. But the thought of going out there and admitting her fear was almost as scary, if not a little more so.

"No I'll manage." She decided with a solemn but determined nod of her head. Taking deep, unnecessary breaths to try and calm herself she looked around the room again.

It was sort of a wet room with a large shower area, separated by a glass screen; it had plenty of room to move about without smashing into things and no shower door to break while opening it she realised in relief. A large pile of soft looking, pale green towels were on a shelf just out of the range of the spray. There was a sink and toilet against the other wall.

Taking things very slowly, she gingerly removed her blood-soaked clothing and piled them up in the corner. Ellie assumed they were beyond cleaning but didn't know what else to do with them. Once they were neatly arranged in a small pile she stepped into the shower area and turned the water on.

The cold water hit her with a jolt, she jumped back with a cry of shock but just managed to steady herself before she ripped the shelves down.

"Everything ok in there?"

Ellie froze, she felt unable to move or speak. She just stared at the door in terror.

"Ellie?" His voice sounded concerned.

She saw the handle on the door start to turn slowly and that jolted her out of her stupor.

"I'm fine. Don't come in!" she said hastily and sighed in relief as the handle stopped moving.

"Ok then. Just call if you need me, please." There was an element of pleading in his voice which made her smile. Knowing he was concerned made her feel better and for some reason relaxed her again. She listened to the footsteps move away from the door and then heard the unmistakable sounds of carpentry as Garrett fixed the damage she had caused.

The thought of the mess she had made and the way she had lost her temper filled Ellie with an overwhelming sense of shame. Shaking her head to dislodge the sensation she took another unnecessary breath and revelled in the feeling of inflating her lungs to capacity. It calmed her immeasurably to be able to do something so normal since everything else in her world was so abnormal just now.

Stepping back under the now hot water she sighed in contentment and the water cascaded down on her skin. The feelings of tension and uncertainty melted away under the warming massage of the water. Closing her eyes she tipped her head back and allowed the torrent to rinse away not only the blood and mud but her cares as well. Never in her whole life could Ellie remember a shower feeling as good as that. After a few minutes of simply standing she very carefully picked up the shampoo and opened the cap. She squeezed to place a small amount on the palm of her hand but ended up sending for than half of the contents of the bottle across the shower stall and onto the floor with a loud 'splat.'

"Shit" she muttered with disappointment as she slowly and with exaggerated care tried again to get even a small amount of shampoo onto her hand.

By the time she had washed her hair for the fourth time, in order to get all of the blood and filth out of it, the shampoo on the floor was gone and she had discovered the correct amount of pressure required to get the required liquid out. She then turned her attention to the rest of her body.

With a great deal of care and patience she managed to get herself clean then just stood under the spray again for what felt like hours as she tried to clear her mind and unwind the jumbled mess her thoughts were in.

Memories of her life flashed through her mind as vivid as when they first happened. Her childhood, going to university, her gran all came back with startling clarity. Everything came back to her. She could remember the search for the Cullens, the information she had gathered and then meeting Garrett. Her anger began to rise as she remembered that last fateful night, the sex had been fantastic she wryly admitted to herself as she sank to the floor in the shower. But it had resulted in her being here now and she wasn't at all sure how she felt about that just at that moment.

Another knock on the bathroom door startled her out of her reverie.

"You've gone very quiet, Are you ok Ellie?"

"I'm fine. Sorry I lost track of time." She answered quickly while standing and very carefully turning off the shower.

The first towel she reached for came apart in her hands like tissue paper. With a growl of frustration she tried again. Grasping the soft cloth gingerly between her fore finger and thumb she slowly lifted the towel from the shelf and shook it open. Slowly she wrapped it around herself and reached for another to wrap her hair. It took another two attempts but she eventually managed and allowed herself a little squeal of delight in her achievement.

Making her way out of the bathroom she passed the mirror. Ellie had deliberately avoided it on first entering the room as she was so sure she would be disgusted by the sight she presented. But this time curiosity got the better of her and she turned to gaze at her reflection. Her eyes widened when she took in the sight before her. Her skin, which had always been pale, was now even more so. It looked like fine porcelain and was smooth and flawless. The light dusting of freckles she had had on her nose were now gone as was the tiny scar on her cheek from a fall as a small child. Her nose appeared to have narrowed slightly which she concluded was a benefit. Her cheekbones appeared a little more pronounced but not startlingly so. Lastly she studied her eyes, they were framed by eyelashes which were thicker and longer, curling perfectly. She realised she would never need to use an eyelash curler again which was another plus in her opinion. Her eyebrows were more symmetrical and now perfectly shaped and manicured, they arched neatly above the blood red irises which took her breath away. Her eyes were brighter than Garrett's had been, his were a rich burgundy while hers were almost scarlet. It was scary and thrilling in equal measure. Ellie wasn't sure why she found having red eyes thrilling but she did. Looking deeply into the reflection that gazed back at her she realised those eyes were still her own. The red actually suited her, it was a mesmerizing colour and she admitted to herself that she liked them.

Touching her cheek with exaggerated gentleness she decided that on the whole the changes were good and she still looked like herself. She had half expected to see a stranger staring back at her through that small, steam covered mirror, but instead she saw her own face. It held differences yes but it was her, her own reflection, and she was glad to be able to recognise herself. Remembering suddenly how cold and hard Garrett's body had felt she found herself pleasantly surprised that her own skin felt warmer and more pliable.

"Perhaps it's the shower." She mused as she glanced around the room once more and realised with dismay that she had forgotten to pick up any clothes. Sighing in resignation and a touch of frustration she carefully opened the bathroom door.

"Garrett" she whispered half hoping he wouldn't answer.

He appeared before her in a blink which caused her to gasp in shock and step backwards. She did however remember to let go of the door handle so as to not pull it from its hinges.

"Sorry!" he said in dismay as he at once realised his mistake. He held up his hands in a gesture of apology.

"What can I do for you?" The eagerness in his voice was unmistakable.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Shit! Sorry Ellie they are in the bedroom. Do you want me to get you some?"

"Yes please."

She breathed another deep calming breath. His voice now, she was relaxed was compelling; he was so keen to please and help it was charming. The thought of him brought on feelings of longing which she didn't really feel comfortable with. The knowledge that he was so close and she was all but naked was terrifying and exciting. She could feel a draw to him that was impossible to resist but there was also a fear of taking that step. She wasn't ready for that just yet, at least she didn't think she was. But that didn't stop the feelings rising within her and confusing the hell out of her.

There was a soft knock on the door followed by him popping his head around the door and smiling warmly at her.

"Here you go." He said as he passed her the clean clothes. "Do you need help getting dressed?"

"What?" She asked shocked. "Um…. No…. I mean no thanks I'll be fine."

"Ok. What did you do with the others?"

She pointed to the pile of bloody clothes while clutching the towel to her.

"Relax." He whispered. "You'll put a hole in it. I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to. I just want to help. I know how frustrating all this can be you know."

Ellie closed her eyes and nodded. She was confused by the feelings rushing around inside her.

"I'll burn them." He said moving slowly into the bathroom and picking up the pile of clothes.

"Hey you did well!" He exclaimed when he saw they were largely still intact and she had only ruined three towels. "I ran around almost naked for the first couple of months because I couldn't control myself well enough to get dressed without tearing great holes in everything." He chuckled softly.

"Just take your time, I'm just out here if you need me ok." He said softly before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

The clothes he had passed her were an old and comfortable pair of leggings and a t-shirt. They were the ones she usually slept in. They were familiar and reassuring, just what she needed right now to calm her. Ellie smiled to herself. Had he been especially thoughtful or was it a complete accident? She chose to believe he was being thoughtful and that made her feel happy.

Putting on the clothes with great care she was so proud that she managed it she gave another much louder squeal of delight and was answered by a chuckle from the other side of the door.

"Come on out and I'll comb your hair. The comb you have is really fragile looking and besides my momma always said having her hair combed was a wonderful treat."

Ellie smiled again and exited the room to come face to face with a broadly grinning Garrett.

"You seem happier sweetheart, I'm glad."

"I am." She chirruped in response a beaming smile gracing her countenance.

Following him to the main room she stopped dead in shock at the threshold. She glanced around in stunned surprise. The house appeared back to normal, not a trace of broken wood anywhere.

"How?" she asked in shock.

"The person who arranged this place must have suspected we would need to make repairs and provided the necessary materials." He chuckled again loudly at her expression more than anything else. "With our speed such things don't usually take long."

He led her to a chair and urged her to sit while he stood behind her and began to gently work through the tangles and snarls in her wild mass of hair. Closing her eyes she relaxed and allowed herself to feel, his momma was right, this felt great. She began to feel contented and cared for. A feeling of acceptance settled upon her, this was her life now she might as well get on with it. Besides she remembered she had forgiven him when he bit her. She would hold to that, eternity was too long to be bitter.

A low gentle rumbling began to come from her chest which felt really nice and when she heard an answering purr coming from him she sighed in pleasure. It seemed to bind them together and melt away her cares, lulling her into a feeling of deep contentment.

"What is that noise?" She asked almost sleepily.

He paused briefly in his task before continuing.

"It's the noise we make when with our mates, when we are happy or need to offer comfort. We only ever make it for our other half, no one else." He answered softly and slowly allowing his words to sink in fully.

"Mates.. As in soul mates?"

"Yes sweetheart." He chose his next words with care, the purr getting louder in his chest. "I must have instinctively recognised you when you were human, that's why I was drawn to you, why I stopped feeding, why I changed you. I'm sorry was such a bastard though. I've not lost it like that for a hell of a long time."

"What happened to make you lose is so badly?" She was calm now and at peace, she was curious rather than angry and wanted to know.

"It was the memory of that first incredible thirst, combined with your scent and maybe the fact you are my mate. I don't really know." He came around and knelt in front of her. He cupped her cheek gently and gazed earnestly into her eyes. "I never meant to hurt you or to change you then, I wanted to talk to you about it first, to give you your options. I'm so sorry Eleyne, can you forgive me?"

The plea was so heartfelt she could not but give her confirmation.

"I can forgive you, of course I can." She said and she meant it. Ellie smiled and paused she wanted to make sure he understood, that she understood. "I was upset, you scared me a lot and I was very angry. But I kind of understand it I think. I can smell my scent on these clothes now and it's making my throat tickle. I can feel the draw to you too, it's very strong. I guess what I'm trying to say is - I don't think I could blame you now. Besides what's done is done, I have to make the best of it."

"Does it get better though? The burn? Or will I always feel my throat?"

"Human blood is the only thing that completely quenches the thirst and puts out that fire." He replied honestly while searching her eyes for doubt. "But yes it will get much easier, and I'll help you all I can."

He stared into her eyes for what felt to Ellie was an eternity. The gaze told her all she needed to know. He was hers, would never leave her through choice. She could trust him completely. In that moment she felt all her questions and doubts fall away to be replaced by a clam certainty. Whatever was to happen in the future they would face it together. She leant forward slightly and pressed her lips to his.

Pulling back Garrett searched her eyes for hesitancy or doubt. He couldn't believe she was kissing him, that she was accepting their bond and him. His heart swelled with love and pride for his beautiful mate.

She met his gaze with a confident, happy smile of her own. She was finally sure. Kissing him again with more fervour she felt him pick her up and then lay her down on the soft bed.


	13. Chapter 13

**Well here it is _at last!_**

 **Thanks for all the messages I got asking about this story and for sticking with me.**

 **As I have said I will be finishing it and hopefully updates will be more speedy from now on.**

 **Enjoy**

The time they spent wrapped in each other flew by. Nothing disturbed or distracted them from one another. Ellie discovered to her immeasurable joy that her new form required no rest, no bathroom breaks, she didn't get sore or ache. She was completely taken over by her need for him and it was as though nothing else mattered.

They explored, delighted and revelled in their new found bond and forgot everything but each other. Eventually though her thirst became too much for her to ignore and so it was with great reluctance they dressed again and headed out into the forest.

This hunt went much better. Being no longer angry and upset as well as having an idea of what was coming, Ellie found she was a lot more controlled resulting in her making much less mess from the two deer she caught. For the sake of convenience Garrett also hunted a deer and his face as the liquid passed his lips had Ellie in hysterics. He resolutely forced the foul tasting, in his opinion, blood down his throat determined to get back to the cabin as quickly as possible. Once both were sated or in Garrett's case at least no longer so thirsty they headed back and this time he was resolved to have the conversation they should have had before everything got away from him. It was just that watching his mate strip seductively and saunter into the shower broke his determination in a heartbeat.

"A quickie wouldn't hurt right?" he thought to himself as he hurried after her discarding his clothes on the way.

"I know the Cullens." He blurted out some time later when they were curled up on the sofa listening to some music. He cursed himself for his bluntness as he felt her tense in his arms but really hadn't been able to think of another way of starting that particular and necessary conversation.

"How do you know them?" Her voice was measured and calm but he could tell she was not happy. He could only hope she didn't feel let down or lied to.

"I met Carlisle many, many years ago. I have seen him and his family a few times over the centuries but they are acquaintances really, not what I would call friends." He continued slowly. Before he began his long tale of how they met and who they all were.

"I know you want to understand what happened to your Gran, I'll help you." Garrett added hurriedly. "But I honestly can't comprehend why they would kill her. She was no threat, it makes no sense. But if they did kill her I'll help you get your revenge."

"Thank you." Ellie whispered sadly as she took in his heartfelt words. She had listened as he explained why her Gran had been no threat, and what he thought might have happened. She had been forced to admit that perhaps Jessica had died of illness and old age after all, rather than at the hand of Dr Carlisle Hale.

"I still need to know the truth." She said quietly after a long pause. "It's too much of a coincidence that he hears her talking and suddenly she has a re-lapse and then the whole family disappear. If they had nothing to do with it why did they leave?"

"I don't know sweetheart, I honestly have no idea why they would do any of that, there was no need. But I will help you find out." He wrapped her in his arms willing her to find comfort in him. "And if they did hurt your gran I'll help you kill them."

"Kill them?" She asked turning to face him in shock.

"Of course. You want revenge don't you? It's what you've been looking for isn't it?" He asked, suddenly concerned he had misread the situation.

"I hadn't given much thought to what I would do when I found them." Ellie mused slowly turning back to lean against him. "I wanted to confront them and somehow make them sorry but I never thought about killing them. I suppose I was looking toward prison."

"Prison! That's impossible. Vampires could never go to prison we'd be exposed in seconds. They would do anything to avoid that sort of attention." Garrett replied with finality. "A confrontation like that would only ever have one outcome.

"Death.

"Either theirs or yours and as a human it would have definitely been yours. They would have to try and protect themselves. You had to have known you were on a one way trip, didn't you sweetheart?"

"I suppose I did, deep down." She answered with a sigh and snuggled further into his embrace. "I knew it was dangerous when I realised what they were but I never really thought about how it would all end. I just found that picture from Gran's high school graduation and had to know more. The more I learned the more I needed to learn. I never thought about what I would do when I found them. All I could think was that I had to.

"I was intrigued and fascinated as well as angry. I felt compelled, driven and now, now I'm just not sure.

"I don't want to die." She said after a long pause as she looked Garrett in the eye. His soft growl was all the answer he gave. "But I'm not sure I can kill anyone either. Even if they did kill my Gran I don't want to become like them."

"So where does that leave us now?" Garrett asked carefully. "Do you want to see them pay? Do you want revenge or do you want to forget the whole thing?"

Again Ellie paused. It was a difficult question, what did she want? Suddenly she was not sure.

"I want them to pay." She eventually replied. "I want them to know the consequences of their actions, to realise they can't just continue on in the way they do.

"But death?

"I don't think I want that."

"Well then." He began with a kiss to her temple. "We will just have to find a way to punish them and keep us all alive. But if I am honest I can't see it being possible, at least not for all of them. They won't like your accusations and the proof you have of their existence is very dangerous to them. Some may try to hurt you and I cannot, will not allow that."

"How is it dangerous?" She asked curious all of a sudden. "If it's so dangerous why do they allow it to be out there?"

"It is dangerous because it proves that they are not merely human. One of our most fundamental laws is that we do not reveal ourselves to the humans. While what you have does not prove they are vampires is does raise some very awkward questions."

He got up and started pacing the room.

"It is arrogance that allows them to leave evidence of their differences around.

"Pure, dangerous arrogance.

"Carlisle insists on mixing with the human world, practicing medicine and sending the 'children' to school. He delights in writing articles and impressing his peers with his expertise. As he tries again and again to re-gain the humanity he has lost.

"But he forgets that times have changed, that they continue to change. Chronicles and articles are kept on computers, recorded for posterity. Information is passed so much more widely via the internet. Even when your gran was a girl there were camera's on phones, email, Facebook. Images were around the world in seconds. You couldn't possibly know who has taken what and retrieve or delete them all.

"Then he assumed that human memories would fade, that people would forget his beautiful, exotic family with their designer clothes and expensive cars. Their palatial houses and glittering careers. He vastly underestimated the effect our kind has on people, how we enthral and captivate as is our very nature. He misjudged the human capacity to remember and in so doing placed not only himself but his whole coven in grave danger.

"It is a foolish, arrogant assumption on his part that he can merely breeze through the human world, touching lives with complete dis-regard and moving on. And one that was bound to catch up with him eventually."

He stopped his pacing and flopped back down onto the sofa beside her. Wrapping one arm around her shoulders he continued his rant.

"Then we have the 'children'. They go to school and college all the time. They forget that humans grow up; they grow older, get jobs and move. Some even become teachers and lecturers or worse nurses and doctors. It is inevitable they will be recognised at some point.

"And don't get me started on the ' _son_ '.

"Carlisle allowed that boy to not only befriend a human but _marry_ one!

"He allowed the lad to take her away to a remote island for their honeymoon! The boy was a puritanical idiot with no idea about love, passion or sex. What did they think the outcome would be?"

Standing up again Garrett moved to look out of the window. He stared into space as memories overtook him, his fingertips absently tracing the grain on the wood of the window sill.

"I remember my first time. I was human, young and full of the self-confidence of youth. The lady was experienced and beautiful, at least in my eyes." He added with a fond smile and rueful shake of his head.

"She charmed me in ways I had not then dreamed of. Over time she taught me a great deal.

"But that first time.

"It was the most wonderful, thrilling experience and I was convinced I was a master at the act. I later learned of course that I was nothing of the sort and she had no doubt been disappointed." He laughed, turning back to face Eleyne with smiling eyes.

"But my point is it was overwhelming.

"How then would you expect a 100 year old vampire virgin to react when alone with a young, pretty and warm human who is no doubt a virgin herself? Of course he would lose control.

"Of course he would bite! It's what we do!

"With a little more experience he may have been able to stop in time, may have been able to be with her and not bite but ..

"What _WAS_ Carlisle thinking?

"The whole situation was a recipe for disaster; they should have turned the girl long before Edward got anywhere near her panties.

"He is lucky to have avoided trouble this far."

Shaking his head again he returned to his seat next to Ellie with a sorrowful demeanour.

"It's just so disappointing you know." He said in a sad voice barely above a whisper.

"For him to knowingly flout the rules in such an obvious way is sad. He had no excuses, he had been around for centuries, longer than me, he even lived in Volterra for several decades. He cannot pretend he doesn't understand his actions or their consequences.

"I can only assume he either thinks there is truly no danger, which shows a criminal ignorance and naiveté. Or that he simply does not care and believes he is above such rules or safe from them which exhibits an arrogance of epic proportions.

"He should know better than most that none are exempt and none are safe from punishment."

Ellie could tell he was sad at the thought of Carlisle's foolishness, it made her wonder if Garrett was closer to the wayward vampire than he had led her to believe.

"You like him don't you?"

Looking at his mate sadly he nodded slowly.

"Yes I like him. I don't know him particularly well but he always came across as peace loving, kind but above all intelligent and learned. His determination to feed from animals garnered my respect as did his love for his family.

"It is sad to think I got it so wrong, that his love for them seems to have blinded him to the laws we live by. He allowed that love to overrule his own common sense and facilitate the death of a young girl and the exposure of his kind. That is utter insanity and not the intelligence I had once seen.

"Now his kindness appears nothing more than a smokescreen and he was clearly not worthy of the respect and regard I had for him.

"But what hurts now more than anything else is that he had hurt you and placed you in a possibly dangerous situation by his own careless stupidity. I had thought him better than that."

Both sat in contemplative silence for some time. Ellie ran over the conversation in her head and began to realise just what Garrett meant by his final statement.

By leaving a trail for her to follow Carlisle had put her in the position where she could have been killed for knowing the secret. She doubted very much that the Volturi would have given her the option of turning or listened to her promises of keeping quiet. Looking at the situation from a pragmatic point of view, she realised she had been on a path far more dangerous than she had ever imagined and that being turned by Garrett was by far the best option out of all the possible endings she could envisage. It is also the one she would have chosen she finally admitted to herself.

Placing her hand gently on his cheek she slowly turned him to face her.

"Don't feel bad for that." She said with a smile and a kiss. "You got to me first. You were meant to find me first. And now I am safe from punishment. You saved me and I love you for that."

For the first time since he had realised that he had bitten her Garrett felt at peace. In the back of his mind he had always wondered if she would harbour some resentment toward him. Perhaps she would have been angry and bitter.

But no…

It was like the shutters had been flung wide open and the sun was streaming brightly in.

She loved him!

He already knew he loved her to distraction.

The smile that lit up his face was dazzling and Ellie basked in the warmth of it. He was delighted and she was because of that.

Eleyne smiled back and stared lovingly into his joy filled eyes with a beaming grin on her face as she realised everything between them was moving so very fast and had become so intensely passionate almost overnight but that it felt right. In her heart of hearts she knew he would never leave her or cheat on her. She knew that they were right together and that feeling was wonderful. To fall so head over heels in love so quickly was not her style at all and yet she could do nothing else except enjoy the feelings he aroused in her.

Inevitably the shining eyes turned from happy to amorous. The gentle touches became firmer and more sensual so that before she could really register what was happening the couple were once again locked together in fierce passion.

Garrett decided that it was the perfect opportunity to test out the sturdiness of the cabin table. To his surprise it turned out to be very strong indeed, much more solid than he had first thought, and suffered only minor, surface damage from Ellie's nails.

The next few days passed by in a blur of sexual frenzy, white hot passion and gentle lovemaking interspersed with intense and questioning conversations along with companionable silences. Several pieces of furniture and another wall had been destroyed by their lust but they were unable to stay away from each other long enough to affect the repairs.

Ellie found it difficult to concentrate on anything other than Garrett. She was shocked at how easily she was distracted from talking to him and planning their next move by the slightest movement or gesture on his part. She was also quite disturbed by how often she would basically jump on him. She took the initiative and initiated many of their romps which was not like her at all having been usually shy and reserved around men.

Eventually, and with supreme strength of will and concentration, she managed to control herself long enough to talk to him about her feelings. His answer was not what she expected.

"You are a newborn sweetheart, easily distracted and ruled by your instincts. And right now your instincts are screaming at you to claim your mate. And I am not about to complain or try to stop you." He added the last part with a self-satisfied smirk.

"It will get easier as you grow accustomed to your new form and mind, but you will always find instincts hard to ignore." Garrett rather liked that she was a little wild and unrestrained. He loved that he could drive her crazy with want. He planned on making the most of her lack of control for as long as he was able to.

"Do you find your instincts hard to ignore?" Ellie asked cautiously. She was slightly embarrassed by her behaviour and while his explanation reassured that she was normal but she was more than a little afraid she would stay that way. How would she ever accomplish anything if she couldn't keep her hands off him long enough to even think of anything other than sex?

"You have no idea." He answered with another sexy smirk leaving Ellie in no doubt as to what he was thinking. With a monumental effort she turned away and looked out of the window refusing to be distracted yet again.

Garrett sighed quietly. He was feeling a strange mixture of emotions at her actions. Relief and pride that she was adjusting to life as a vampire so well combined with more than a little disappointment that she was learning and seemed completely determined to control herself. He was impressed by how quickly her self-control had grown and her confidence along with it. She had a poise now that had been absent in her human form and he found it absolutely enthralling.

He was shaken from his musings by her soft question which killed all thoughts of passion and romance.

"Tell me about the Volturi?"

"What do you want to know?" He asked.

"Everything." She replied with quiet finality. "All you know."

Leading her by the hand to sit on the porch steps and watch the sunset he settled them both down and began to explain as much as he could. He told her about the kings, the guard, the citadel and the rules. She asked questions and they became more specific as his explanation continued. He could see the cogs in her mind whirling as though she were forming some sort of plan.

"You said Carlisle found and turned Edward first. Where was that?" Ellie asked out of the blue.

"Edward was dying of Spanish influenza in Chicago in 1918 I believe" He answered curious to see where her questioning was going to take them. "Why?"

"I have the beginnings of an idea." she replied, her face lighting up with a wicked smile that had him smiling broadly in return.

She began to outline her thinking and ask him even more questions. He supplied all the information he could, filling in as much of the background on the Cullen family as possible. It did not take long before they had a firm plot and began to plan where they would go next and what they would do. Ellie was happy to have found a way to solve her problem of dealing with the Cullens and Garrett was just happy that she was being so positive. They were all smiles as the plotted their next move but those grins quickly turned to shock as they heard a voice from the doorway.

"Yep, that certainly sounds like a plan to me."


	14. Chapter 14

**Well here it is at last - the next chapter.**

 **Thanks to everyone for sticking with this, and huge thanks to those who take the time to review or message me direct. I really appreciate them.**

 **And so onward...**

" _Yep, that certainly sounds like a plan to me."_

Garrett leapt to his feet and dipped into a crouch in front of a very shocked Eleyne in a flash. He was furious with himself for having gotten so caught up in his mate he hadn't noticed the approach of this pair of vampires.

How could he have missed their scent and movement, their noise because he was sure they wouldn't have been quiet? He berated himself silently; shamefully aware he had allowed his girl to be placed in potential danger by his distraction.

"It was a stupid, stupid thing to do." He thought to himself furiously. He would be howling with laughter were he the one have snuck up on someone. It was the kind of thing only idiots allowed to happen, not century's old warriors.

"Getting side-tracked there are we Garrett?" The male asked as though he had read Garrett's mind. The huge grin on his face spoke of jokes at Garrett's expense for a long time to come. He turned his head and looked Ellie up and down slowly, in such an appraising and lecherous way as to make her feel glad she could no longer blush.

"That's not like you." The stranger announced with a smug smirk on his face and a cheeky wink at Ellie. "Can't say I blame you though, she sure is pretty."

"Of course she is Pete" Garrett replied straightening up and squeezing her hand reassuringly before walking forward with his hand outstretched in greeting and a huge smile on his face. "Any mate of mine is guaranteed to be a stunner."

Ellie didn't know whether to be flattered or insulted by Garrett's comment as she watched him welcome the newcomer. She was delighted he found her to be beautiful but annoyed he seemed to think any less was beneath his dignity. She looked on their greeting with amusement and a little bit of irritation. They did the typical, one armed man-hug thing and slapped each other on the back companionably.

Clearly they were old friends. She noticed that the female who had accompanied 'Pete' wore an expression of indulgent amusement on her face as though she had seen this several times before.

"Charlotte sweetheart, how are you?" Garrett asked the woman as he hugged her warmly and kissed her on the cheek. "Still trying to wrangle this reprobate?"

"Well it's a tough job but someone has to stop him from getting himself killed or arrested." 'Charlotte' answered with a happy smile, returning his hug and kiss.

Ellie was shocked at the jealousy which suddenly shot through her when he had greeted 'Charlotte'. The sight of her man in the arms of another made her want to snarl viciously and snatch him away. It took almost every shred of what little self-control she had to remain seated. As it was she was unable to stop the low, menacing growl which sounded at the back of her throat. Almost as quickly as she had made the noise Ellie slapped her hand over her mouth is shock and stared at Charlotte with wide, horrified eyes waiting for her response.

"Sorry hun!" Charlotte said with an indulgent chuckle as she dropped her arms from around Garrett and approached the new born vampire slowly.

"I'm not after your man, I promise."

Of course she knew that with her rational mind! They had arrived together and were quite clearly a couple. But that hadn't stopped her growling at Charlotte. Ellie was overcome with embarrassment. If it were possible she knew her face would be bright red.

"Sorry I don't know where that came from." The now mortified Eleyne whispered, her head hanging in shame and unable to meet the eyes of the other female.

"It's quite alright. I should have known better than to hug him before we were friends." Charlotte continued with a small laugh and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, while Garrett retook his seat beside her and took her hand in his reassuringly.

"It's your instinct to protect your mate hun, no need to feel embarrassed or sorry.

"In your shoes I would have ripped my arms off!" she added with a hearty laugh, the volume of which only increased at Eleyne's scandalized expression.

Garrett introduced both Peter and Charlotte to her properly and explained how he knew them both.

"I have known them for well over two hundred years sweetheart, we have travelled together often. You can trust them Ellie I promise." He said as he concluded his tale with a warm hug and gentle kiss.

She was comforted by his words and the earnest expression on his face. Looking at the smiling faces of the newcomers she did feel she could like them, given time. She started to relax a little and in next to no time at all her curiosity got the better of her and she launched into question after question about their lives and travels. All of these they answered happily and included many tales of Peter's exploits which had them rolling with laughter on many occasions.

"So are you responsible for this place Pete?" Garrett asked him casually some time later.

"Yes and no." He answered with a long-suffering sigh. "I organised the place and supplies but I was tipped off by the persistent pixie."

"Can we expect them any time soon?" Garrett asked cautiously, having her here could prove very difficult for Ellie.

"Nope. They aren't coming.

"She said that they won't stop us or get in the way, she said it was time to put a stop to it all but she said they can't help us either. She's just gonna let the chips fall where they may.

"Her words not mine. As usual she has to be cryptic and mysterious" He waved his hands in the air and rolled his eyes with a 'whoo whoo' after the word 'mysterious' as he tried to emphasise the point making Ellie explode into giggles at his antics.

"But she did say that can't wait to meet our new baby here when it's all over." He continued with a wide, cheeky grin and a wink at Ellie.

Again she was shocked at the speed with which her emotions flipped as she fought down the urge to snarl at that comment but couldn't stop the annoyed growl that seeped through. In her rational mind she knew he was being cheeky, affectionate even but she didn't like being called a baby.

The chuckling at her growl brought her sharply out of her thoughts. She looked at Garrett to see deep amusement in his eyes. The twinkling lights shining within the crimson depths drew her in and before she even registered her actions she was kissing him.

"New-borns." Peter commented with an exaggerated long suffering sigh which distracted again Ellie and brought her confused attention back to him. "So easily distracted and annoyed."

She growled again, but this time it was half annoyance and half resignation at knowing he was right.

"You are going to be such fun sweetheart." He added with a gleeful smile on his face.

Ellie could only hope he was correct. She hated the feeling of being out of control, it was really no fun at all at least for her but the others seemed to find her growling and snarling endlessly amusing she concluded to herself.

"And you are clearly one very strange vampire!" She countered with a grin of her own.

"Ain't that the truth sugar." Charlotte agreed while smacking her "Cheshire Cat" faced mate on the arm. "He is just a perv. Probably looking forward to wrestling you to the ground when you throw a tantrum.

"Which you will, we all did!"

Garrett growled softly at the comment about Peter wrestling Ellie but the girl herself found the whole thing really funny, especially Garrett and Peter's expressions after Charlotte's announcement. She sat giggling to herself while the others discussed her plan.

"We will need to work on her tolerance and control at once if we are going to do this soon." Peter said with smooth efficiency.

"She will also need to learn how to defend herself."

Charlotte nodded and took Ellie's hand.

"Come on sugar. No time like the present."

Without a backwards glance they exited the cabin and stood facing each other in the clearing outside.

The next weeks were filled with day after day of the same routine. Charlotte would teach Ellie how to fight. She taught her how to move, how to defend and how to attack. She trained her in the methods of using her shorter height and smaller female body to its best advantage. Ellie had done some self-defence as a teenager and before long the lessons returned to her and she began to learn quickly.

It didn't take long before she was sparring with Peter as well. At first Ellie had thought she would find it uncomfortable, especially with the leering grin he always seemed to wear. But as it happened fighting with him was great fun. Both he and Charlotte instructed without being bossy, they taught without ever being condescending or patronising. They allowed her to realise her mistakes and learn from them, they seemed to have endless patience which sadly could not be said for Ellie.

Her first temper tantrum came after about two weeks when her frustrations at getting knocked on her arse for the tenth time that day reached boiling point. As predicted Peter had pinned her down in seconds while she growled and writhed beneath him in an effort to get free.

His cheeky quip of "come on darlin just a little more to the left" ended said tantrum in a heartbeat and left her flooded with mortification, still as a statue and silently wishing for death - again.

His chuckling was cut short by a loud crack as Charlotte's hand made firm contact with the back of his head and her scathing voice broke the silence that followed.

"Get off her you idiot before Garrett rips you to shreds and I let him."

She grabbed him by the arm and dragged him bodily away into the trees where Ellie could still hear her berating him loudly.

Before she had a chance to pick herself up of the floor she was in Garrett's arms and being stripped naked before he ravished her thoroughly.

He had told her when the training started that he knew she needed to learn and wouldn't step in, but he couldn't train her himself, couldn't deliberately attack her. She knew it was hard for him to watch and it got worse when she began to work with Pete. The constant stream of innuendo's and slaps on the arse had Garrett pacing the side-lines like a caged tiger with a constant growl emitting from his chest.

But clearly that last encounter had pushed him just a little too far and he spent the next few hours making her scream his name so that the whole world knew just who she was with.

The cycle continued for the next few weeks. Ellie would train with Peter and Charlotte. They worked on teaching her to fight as well as helping her gain control of her strength, speed and temper. But inevitably she would become frustrated and lose it, this always seemed to result in a wrestling match with Peter and end in a wild and scorching tumble with Garrett.

Working on her blood lust was more of a challenge. They started making forays into the nearest town, firstly at night when there was less chance of actually meeting anyone. It gave her the opportunity to scent the humans from a safe distance and hid her too fast movements or being restrained, on occasion. At first it was hard for her, the smell was mouth-watering and all Ellie could think of was that she had to have it. There were a couple of occasions when a snarling, mindless new-born was dragged off to the nearest secluded area to let off steam and temper. But with patience and determination from them all she was soon able to ignore the call to feed and move about freely and safely.

Town in the daytime brought about a whole new set of challenges. Ellie found it incredibly difficult to move slowly enough not to attract attention at first. What should have been the simplest thing in the world now seemed like a huge challenge. But she soon felt she had got the hang of it and began to relax and enjoy the stroll. Well she would have enjoyed it if not for spending the entire time being pulled back by Garrett as he held her arm securely. The fifteen minutes it took to walk down the street had been a constant stream of "slowdowns" and "careful" which irritated her incredibly. So much so that when they were out of sight of humans she completely lost her temper again in frustration but this time it was Garrett who had to bear the brunt of her displeasure.

He found wrestling her to a safe and secluded spot much harder than he would have anticipated due to the fact her fighting lessons with Peter and Charlotte were really paying off. She fought back against him fiercely, not clearly recognising who she was fighting with. By the time she had calmed down slightly both were dishevelled and looking worse for wear while he was sporting a brand new and viciously stinging bite mark on his right forearm. Ellie couldn't even bring herself to feel bad about it as she in her opinion Garrett had brought it all on himself with his overprotective badgering.

"I was going slowly! I was fine" She shrieked at him when she had calmed enough to verbalise her thoughts rationally.

"Slowly? Is that what you call it sugar?" Charlotte asked as she and Peter appeared from through the trees "Because from what I could see you were about to win a speed walking race with ease."

"Really?" Ellie asked, visibly deflating before their eyes. "It felt so slow, I was sure I was going at the right speed."

"Sorry hun but you were nowhere near." Charlotte continued.

Ellie plonked herself down on the ground with a sad 'huff'.

"I really thought I had got it." She sobbed in a heartbroken wail. "I'm so sorry for attacking you Garrett, I'm sorry for being angry with you. I'm sorry I bit you and I'm sorry I'm such a failure."

"Failure?" Peter asked "Why on earth would you ever think that? You are doing brilliantly. You might have been going too fast just now but you were slower than most can manage at first, me included."

"Don't beat yourself up sweetheart." Garrett said softly as he gathered her in his arms and turned to walk back to the house. "You are not a failure; you are incredible and learning really fast. You'll get there sweetheart, I promise you."

After that first initial foray Ellie improved in leaps and bounds. Her confidence had taken a battering but she bounced back with renewed determination and after only a couple more weeks was declared 'fit to be allowed out' by Peter and therefore ready to leave the cabin and continue with their plans.

The first move they made was to travel to Chicago. Both Garrett and Peter felt it would be easier on Ellie if they travelled mostly at night, less humans to run across and smell. They drove by night and hid or hunted by day, staying well away from built up areas and temptation. The last day of their journey was cloudy and miserable so they travelled the final leg by day and finished the journey around seven in the evening. While Peter and Charlotte took care of the checking in and bags Garrett hurried Ellie through the reception of the hotel and up to their suite while she held her breath and clung tightly to his arm.

Peter and Charlotte left to hunt almost straight away so Garrett and Ellie spent the night tried to acclimatize her to all the scents and sounds of the city which she was finding increasingly overwhelming and distracting. They opened the windows and just listened to the hustle and bustle so that by the next afternoon she was a great deal calmer and ready to go out.

It was late afternoon when the four of them entered the library and headed for the records of old newspapers. It was much easier for Ellie to find what she was looking for now as she knew what dates and names to look for. The article about a seventeen year old boy's body going missing during the Spanish Influenza outbreak was printed out. As well as the one about the mysterious disappearance of an eminent doctor who seemed to have simply vanished without a trace. Charlotte also managed to find some newspaper articles written by Dr Carlisle Cullen at the time advising readers on the care of patients and prevention of the spread of Spanish Influenza. The ever growing pile of paperwork was ordered in chronological order with footnotes and backgrounds attached ready for whatever use they decided on.

Once they had finished their digging into Chicago history they returned to the hotel. Ellie was almost bouncing with triumph and excitement after her first day in a city which had been, in her opinion, a huge success. To celebrate and take the edge of the new-born hyperactivity they ventured back out into the night and visited a club.

At first Ellie was overwhelmed by the noise and smell of the closely packed, drunk and sweaty humans around. She clung tightly to Garrett's arm as they made their way through the sea of people towards a table. When the waitress came over to take their order Ellie held her breath in fear that she would do something stupid. She need not have worried though as they were surrounded by such strong scents of alcohol and sweat along with drugs, perfume and cigarette smoke that she was able to tune out the blood smell and for the most part ignore it.

Peter ordered a bottle of Tequila and four glasses and they settled in to watch the dancers. Ellie found it a fascinating pastime with her new improved eyesight. She could see the flush in the faces subtly increase with more and more alcohol. She could see their pupils expand with attraction and desire. Garrett and Peter were keeping a running commentary of the conversations they imagined were taking place between the couples. They were all very soon laughing and relaxing as the boys got more and more risqué in their comments. Both couples danced, making heads turn whenever they took the floor. Ellie was amazed at how oblivious Peter and Charlotte seemed to the stares and comments directed at them whenever they danced together. There were quite a few jealous looks and bitchy remarks thrown their way.

"You get used to it" Charlotte said with a smile when she noticed Ellie's discomfort at the attention she was receiving. "To them we look like film stars or some such shit, remember we are designed to be attractive to our prey."

"You'll learn to ignore it soon enough" she added as she turned back to a widely grinning Peter "and use it to your advantage too!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Ellie muttered more to herself than anyone in particular but caused her companions to chuckle at her petulance none the less.

The night out had done the trick though and settled Eleyne down as well as given her a fun distraction from the strain she had been feeling before they had arrived in Chicago. It seemed that all at once she was at finally feeling as though she was making progress in her new vampire life and starting to feel like her old self again. Her emotions and temper felt much more even. She was more controlled and restrained which made her feel very pleased with herself. She realised she was genuinely happy and couldn't really remember the last time she had felt like that.

Her relationship with Garrett was also maturing; it had deepened beyond the obvious sexual attraction they felt for one another. She found herself longing for his company, needing to tell him things. She began to realise she was instinctively attuned to his feelings. The love she had begun to feel before the arrival of the others had grown and transformed to something she had never experienced before. He was her life, she was certain without a shadow of a doubt. If he asked he to give up her vendetta she would in a heartbeat simply to please him, and yet she knew he would never ask that of her.

Having had enough of the close atmosphere in the club they headed out to walk hand in hand along the lake side in the cool night air. They found a private to sit and snuggled up together as they relaxed and chatted about anything and everything for hours until the sun began to rise slowly over the water turning the river of moonlight into one of flame.

"Time to go sweetheart." Garrett whispered in her ear with a gentle kiss on the cheek. "We need to get moving before the sun gets too high."

With a contented sigh Ellie rose to her feet and the couple made their way back to the hotel in companionable silence. She was ready to get moving and get on with things. She knew she wanted the whole thing over so she could finally put everything behind her and move forward. So on returning to the hotel, they all quickly packed and headed out towards the next destination on their list, Gatlinburg, Tennessee.


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for sticking with me folks.**

 **Enjoy. xx**

For the next few weeks they travelled around the country, visiting libraries and lawyers offices. Not that the lawyers knew they were visiting. Peter was quite the expert and breaking and entering it turned out. In each town they travelled through they found sale and purchase records for properties in the towns. All had familiar names and all were sold on or passed down to more familiar names.

In Gatlinburg they found newspaper articles about a missing son and friend who had disappeared while out hunting with his brothers. A recently killed bear was found with its neck broken. The twenty year old's gun and hat were by its side, there was a lot of fresh blood on the ground but no body was found. Not even a trace.

Although there was no references to the Cullen family anywhere that they could find the searching vampires kept what information they could. Charlotte remembered that Rosalie had carried Emmett quite a large distance in order for Carlisle to turn him so they didn't really expect to find any direct links during their research in that area.

After leaving Gatlinburg they made their way to Columbus, Ohio. There they found reports about the body of a twenty six year old woman vanishing from the morgue and the shocking disappearance of the popular Dr Mason and his brother at the same time. Foul play was suspected as far as the doctor was concerned. But the family of the missing woman were distraught over learning of her death and subsequent disappearance. Her husband was written to have been particularly devastated. Charlotte did reveal that he had been an abusive piece of shit that Esme had run away from and who had probably loved all the attention her death and missing body created.

Again in Columbus Dr Mason had written some newspaper articles on health and wellbeing and his brother had been mentioned a couple of times because of his musical performances at benefit gala's and recitals. According to the newspapers he was quite the virtuoso.

From Ohio they travelled around the country looking for the Cullen family. They stopped at a several places on the way where Peter knew the Cullen family has lived in the past. In each place they searched out high school records and newspaper articles. It was shocking to Garrett just how much they were able to find. It appeared that Edward had been unable to stay out of the limelight in his earlier years and graduated top of the class several times. He was mentioned in numerous newspaper articles for his musical ability.

Carlisle also seemed to court attention by writing articles from almost every hospital he worked in. He published under different surnames but always one of the families' names. What struck Ellie as quite stupid was that he always kept the same first name as well which stood out. There were even on very rare occasions a photo of one of them, more often Edward but Carlisle also appeared in the associated articles. The others did however appear to be more camera and attention shy and were only ever mentioned in connection with Edward.

Hale, Platt, Mason and McCarty all cropped up with shocking regularity in journals and high school yearbooks. The number of children changed from time to time at the most there were five, sometimes three and odd times just one. Charlotte explained to Ellie about the dynamics of the Cullen family. How Jasper and Alice had joined them later and how occasionally they as well as Rosalie and Emmett would leave for a few years to be alone.

"Whitlock not fucking good enough for them." Peter grumbled frequently when seeing all the different names.

Ellie just chuckled at his whining. Charlotte had also explained about how they were connected to Jasper and 'The Pixie.' At first she had been taken aback and suspicious but as Charlotte patiently answered Eleyne's questions and clarified their position she became mollified and stopped worrying. Eventually she understood Alice's reasons for not helping them more than she had and also her reasons for the help she had given. Ellie was looking forward to meeting the elusive pair when this was all over. Charlotte also explained how Jasper had never wanted the Cullens to use his name, preferring to keep it for himself, Alice and them. He was happy using the name Hale and pretending to be Rosalie's twin. His name meant too much to him to let just anyone use it. But Peter seemed to take it as a personal insult despite his continued insistence he would change his name if 'any of those fuckers used it' and moaned about the whole thing, a lot!

Despite their lack of apparent direction Ellie found the traveling around fun. They had a relaxed aura surrounding them and a sense of having all the time in the world, which they did really, she often mused to herself. She and Garrett got to spend plenty of time together alone and yet it was nice being in a group and having another girl to talk to.

The only things to spoil her happy mood were the ever present concern that her need to finish this quest would end badly, she could only hope they all emerged unscathed and she still had her friends. The other thing that niggled at the edge of her tranquillity was the occasional feeling of being watched. The feeling was there often, as it had been before but now she felt as though she could get a sense of the watcher. Whoever it was was no danger. She was no longer filled with unease, instead she felt as though they were curious and frustrated but not a threat. They were linked somehow she was certain but she never saw anything, not even with her new improved eyesight. None of her companions ever mentioned anything so she did wonder, as she always had, if she was not imagining things. The only clue she ever got that perhaps it was more than an overactive mind was an occasional darker shadow that melted away before she could be sure she had even seen it.

After some weeks the dossier of evidence they had collected against the Cullens was huge. Filled with articles, yearbooks, pictures, references and notes. Categorical proof, at least in Ellie's eyes, that they had walked the earth for well over a century and a half. For the others it was dangerous proof that the Cullen clan had been careless and blasé, showed a disturbing lack of common sense and in Peters opinion a 'we're better than rules' attitude. It was shocking that they had been able to uncover so much and Peter especially enjoyed several long rants about their attitude, stupidity and general demeanour towards vampires like him. It was obvious to all that the Cullens had been exceptionally stupid.

What was less obvious was what they were going to do with all the information they had gathered. There were many options bandied about as they discussed the best course of action as well as the desired result. Ellie wanted them to pay but she wanted to see it happen as well as see them first. Peter seemed to just want their heads on spikes while Garrett and Charlotte were leaning towards whatever kept them at a safe distance from the fallout. In the end it was all decided by a text containing an email address to which they sent the whole file in scanned form.

"Just like that, it's done." Eleyne whispered as the confirmation of delivery notice came through. It felt disappointing, almost anti-climactic in the end.

"Don't worry sugar." Peter said while putting a comforting arm around her shoulder. "You'll still get your fireworks, this shit ain't over. Not by a long shot." He winked at her conspiratorially at her as he led them all out of the library they were in and into the crisp night air.

"Now then, we need to decide where we are headed next." He announced much later as they sat in the trees while Garrett had Ellie pinned to the ground following her most recent hunt and temper tantrum.

She found it annoying that she needed to hunt as much as she did, and despite the assertions of the others that it was all part and parcel of being new it still made her feel weak. Back in the cabin when she had just awoken she could go a couple of days and now, months later, she was still feeding as often.

"All this being around people makes it necessary sweetheart." Garrett had said in an effort to sooth her ruffled feathers but it didn't work and before any of them really had time to blink she was launching herself at him in a fit of pure irritability. Growls and snarls filled the air as he danced around her letting his mate get her frustrations out of her system. He could think of much more pleasurable ways to do it had they been in private but they weren't so he just let her work it out herself. It was only when she snapped her teeth at him that he reacted to put an end to her fit and quickly grabbed her from behind and pinned her to the ground.

"Now, now sweetheart." He admonished. "What have I told you about biting outside of the bedroom."

Peter and Charlottes quiet chuckles filled the air as Ellie stilled while embarrassment overtook her yet again. When he was sure she wasn't going to attack again Garrett eased the pressure on her allowing her to move but all she did was turn her head to look at the others while staying put. He leaned against her casually and draped his arm over her waist in a gentle hug that could easily tighten to restrain her again while Peter asked his question.

"It's time to find the Cullens." Propping her chin up on her arm Eleyne answered. "I want this over with." She could feel all eyes on her as she slowly sat up and kissed Garrett's cheek by way of an apology.

All eyes.

Even those from her stalker that she had still never seen.

"I want to move past this and get on with my life. I feel like I'm in limbo - kind of. It's time to end it."

"Yep I recon it is." Peter replied.

"Problem is we don't know where they are. We could wander around for ages trying to track them down." Ellie mused as she moved to sit on Garrett's lap.

"We don't, no but we know someone who does." Charlotte murmured cryptically as all eyes turned to her.

"Yes but would she tell us? They are her family after all or at least they were. She told you she couldn't help more than she already has." Ellie asked softly.

"True but I think she will tell us, after all the sooner this is over the sooner they can move on as well." Charlotte answered. "I think it's high time they climbed off the fence."

As she spoke Peter's phone started to loudly bleat 'I'm sexy and I know it.' Causing groans and rolled eyes from the assembled vampires and a smug, shit-eating grin from the man himself.

"Hey you know you love it!"

He glanced down at the message he had just received and put the phone back in his pocket.

"Guess they climbed off the fence. She sent us an address, not too far from here actually, we can be there in a few hours if we run."

"Holy shit!" Ellie announced. "We are that close! Shit!"

All of a sudden the enormity of that information crashed down on Eleyne's slender shoulders. It truly was almost over. She was finally going to face them.

Taking a deep, unnecessary but calming breath she hugged Garrett close as excitement and trepidation flowed through her. Jumping to her feet in a flash of exuberance she bounced up and down expectantly as her companions slowly stood, all of them wearing identical long suffering smiles.

Smiling back at them her excitement vanished as quickly as it had arrived. What if something were to happen to one of them because of this? What would she do without them? Suddenly she was filled again with doubt and fear as well as a healthy dose of guilt.

"Don't worry sweetheart." Garrett whispered upon seeing her face. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

"It's not me I am worried about." She announced a little more petulantly than she meant to.

"Aw. Did you hear that Sugar? She's worried about us." Peter said laughingly as he pulled Charlotte close.

"Honestly Ellie. You really do not need to worry about us. The Cullen clan are no match for us on their best day, especially now Jasper and Alice are no longer with them." Charlotte assured confidently. "This will be over before you know it and we'll all be just fine."

Reassured Ellie darted out from Garrett's embrace and sped away from the group with a cheeky glance over her shoulder.

"Well! What are we waiting for?"

The journey to face the Cullens was spent mostly in silence. Not a brooding, fearful one but a contemplative quiet. Each was lost in their own thoughts as they travelled.

For Ellie it gave her the opportunity to decide what she wanted to say to Dr Hale/Cullen once she was face to face with him. She tried to decide how she would feel and what she would do in every circumstance she could imagine. She ran through every single scenario she could come up with but in the end simply decided to just go with the flow.

She really had no idea how she was going to feel when face to face with the potential killer of her grandmother, but she had no doubt that anger would be a large part, she could feel it welling up inside of her already. She hoped that she would behave sensibly and not loose herself to anger in a typical new-born fashion. She wanted to act in a way that would make her gran proud, as well as that she didn't want to make a fool of herself.

As they approached the house they could smell the scents of the family growing stronger. Garrett helped her to identify the different ones so that she would have an idea who was who and glean a small advantage from that. He reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Do not leave my side Eleyne please." He whispered with a gentle kiss on her temple. "I want you to stay with me at all times so I can protect you."

Ellie nodded her agreement but didn't answer verbally or even look at him. She was staring straight ahead at the blonde man who was standing on the porch of the house watching them approach with a cautious gaze. From inside the house they could hear movement from the occupants and the quiet beating of a human heart.

"Garrett!" He exclaimed happily when he saw who his visitors were. "How lovely to see you again." He was wearing a bright smile as he moved to shake Garrett's hand.

"Peter, Charlotte, it's good to see you both as well." He added politely with a nod in their direction. His tone was much less enthusiastic and his smile did not quite reach his eyes when he glanced in their direction.

"Who is your companion Garrett?"

"This is my mate Carlisle, who I recently turned." Garrett answered in a voice that held all the pride he felt at Ellie being his but offered no further information, if Ellie wanted Carlisle to know her name she would tell him herself.

The door of the house opened and four others stepped onto the porch. Ellie recognised Rosalie from the carpark in Littleton and Edward from the photo's in the paper. From the scents she assumed that the others were Emmett and Esme. The human heartbeat was coming from a girl in her late teens who was sheltering behind Edward just inside the doorway.

The three vampires on the porch wore welcoming smiles which did not reach their eyes either, and added their guarded greetings to those of Carlisle. Edward however merely nodded his head in greeting and stood back from the others, aloof and distant. It was clear to Ellie that they were not welcome or wanted there. That knowledge, oddly, did not bother her in the slightest.

Only Emmett seemed pleased to see them, he bounded down the stairs and clapped Peter warmly on the shoulder before greeting Charlotte with a kiss.

"Great to see you again man, I haven't had a good scrap for ages." He announced loudly before turning to Garrett. "Congrats to you too man, she's a real looker."

"You look very familiar my dear, have we met before?" Carlisle asked Ellie once Emmett had finished.

"We haven't spoken to one another, no Dr Hale, but yes we have seen each other." Ellie answered conversationally, proud to find that her tone was even, that she was standing tall and unafraid even though her insides were churning with nerves and anticipation.

"I saw you at the hospital in Littleton about a year ago. I was visiting my grandmother, you were in the restaurant, it was your first day there I believe."

Ellie was well aware that she sounded like a schoolgirl with a crush but she was very pleased to note that Carlisle Cullen took an involuntary step back and darted his eyes back and forth between Garrett and herself.

"You obviously have a very good memory my dear." He answered smoothly. "I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage. I saw a lot of people that day."

Ellie laughed at the implication of his words, she had not been memorable, beneath his notice as a human. Her tone when answering was steely and dangerous, filled with dangerous threats.

"You may not remember me Dr Hale but I am confident you will remember my grandmother. Her name was Jessica Stanley."

The gasp from both Carlisle and Rosalie was quiet but still obvious. They told her everything she wanted to know, These people did have something to do with her Gran's death.

The thought was cut short at a vicious snarl from Edward, he leapt off the porch and launched himself toward her only to be shoved backwards by Garrett who had materialized in front of her.

"You brought her here for revenge!" He screamed at the couple. "How could you?"

Before Garrett could answer a deafening, pain filled but furious roar was heard from the trees behind them. Edward's eyes widened in terrified shock as a huge rusty coloured shape rushed toward him and in less than a human heartbeat had the copper haired vampire pinned to the ground. Before anyone could move to stop it the huge wolf opened its mouth and removed Edward's head in one fell swoop.

The head rolled towards Ellie with its eyes still staring in fear. The assembled vampires were rooted to the spot watching the grisly progress as if in slow motion. They watched, transfixed as the wolf shimmered and shook, slowly morphing shape into that of a naked human male. The young man reached down to his ankle and grabbing the lighter that was there set Edward's inert body alight before anyone could stop him. He turned and grabbed the head from where it rested at Ellie's feet and threw that into the flames as well.

"I told you I would kill you for what you did." The naked man whispered as he fell to his knees beside the pyre, silent sobs wracking his body.

The shocked silence that followed lasted only a few seconds before it was broken by a horrified scream from the human girl.


	16. Chapter 16

**Well here is the next instalment. Thanks for the support and reviews.**

 **Enjoy.**

" _I told you I would kill you for what you did."_

"Over.

"It is finally over." Jacob thought as he knelt by the pyre of the burning Edward Cullen. He stared into the eyes of his nemesis with fervent hatred and allowed all the pent up frustration and anger to show on his face as his mind ran back over the past, showing every moment that had led to this point. He wanted the vampire to suffer to the very end.

He kept his gaze fixed on the dying eyes before him, those eyes stared straight back at him pleading for mercy. But Jacob Black would show none, he felt none, he had none left within him. The years that had passed had changed and moulded him into a man bent solely on revenge. For the last sixty three years he had waited for this moment, he had planned and focused exclusively on this one goal. His entire existence had been driven toward this end. The destruction of Edward Cullen, retribution for the murder of the girl he loved.

When Bella Swan chose the leech over him he had thought he couldn't possibly feel any worse. But the bastard had to keep rubbing it in. Telling him he would let her go if that was what she wanted but then controlling her movements and monitoring her visits, ensuring they were hardly ever alone together. Then the final insult, an invite to his ridiculously extravagant wedding. One final chance to flash his money to the world and his victory to Jacob.

Dancing with Bella at her wedding had been one of the hardest things he had ever done but he had wanted that goodbye, he had needed that one last chance to hold her in his arms while she was still warm and soft and alive. One last chance to see her smile just for him.

But when he learned about their plans for the honeymoon he could not believe his ears, or her stupidity. He would have preferred her as a leech than dead. But of course she wouldn't listen.

No.

Bella was too trusting, too quick to see the good and overlook the evil in her new husband. But he had seen the dark gleam in Cullen's eye, the light of triumph in his face and a shadow of something else, something more sinister he couldn't quite place. Jacob had vowed there and then that he would kill Edward.

Of course the leech had heard his thoughts and dragged Bella back to his side claiming Jake was close to losing control. Jacob was quickly dragged away by his pack and ordered by Sam to stay put he was forced watch from the forest as they left for their 'honeymoon.' Somehow he knew it would be the last time he saw her. It was widely expected that she would become a vampire while away but he knew better. She was going to die and there was nothing he could do about it.

As soon as he could get away he had run to Seattle to the airport hoping to beat them there but they were long gone. He had returned home and tried to convince the vampires what would happen, he had practically begged them to intervene but they refused. They had faith in the leech.

"He loves her Jacob." The doctor had insisted. "He would never do anything to hurt her. This is what Bella wants. She wants to experience sex as a human."

They simply would not believe that the leech could be as manipulative as he thought. They all seemed to believe he really could do no wrong. Even the little one, the girl with the blond, scarred boyfriend seemed so convinced nothing was wrong. She had cornered him on his way out asking him to stop trying to make trouble. She said he needed to accept that Bella would never be his. Jake had argued his point, he knew Bella was lost to him but he loved her. She claimed that she had not seen anything to make her worry but when Jake had pushed her she did admit that 'Edward' had become good at avoiding her visions and she had been avoiding looking at the honeymoon because she knew it would embarrass Bella. The blond guy did say he had felt some deceit from the leech but not enough to worry him as it was kind of always there.

When Jacob has asked her to look again, she did try but couldn't see anything at all but that sometimes happened and skipped off telling him not to worry, that everything would be fine. But he couldn't help it. He knew his Bella was in real danger. In his heart he knew it was also too late.

The call came two days later. Bella had apparently been killed in a swimming accident. Neck broken, diving into the sea. He never believed it for a second.

When the leech came back his eyes were black so Jacob couldn't tell if he'd fed on her or not. They had flown back the day after Charlie got the news. Jacob had broken into the funeral home where her body had been moved to. He had steeled himself and gazed down on the cold, dead face of the girl he loved. It was clear to him it was not a swimming accident. While her neck was broken the hand print on her skin told him it was no rock. The huge gash on her neck told him the rest, everything he needed to know, as did the bruises and bite marks that littered her skin. It was obvious she had been killed by her beloved leech.

Why they even brought her back to Forks he would never understand. Did they want the world to know what they were? It was obvious to anyone that saw her body that she had been attacked by a 'person'. Why did they release her to a funeral home? Did Edward really need to gloat so badly? Or was it that he wanted to rub the wolves' faces in it.

"Look what I can get away with." Was that what he was saying to them all?

They certainly hadn't done it for Charlie who had been left with no say what so ever in his daughter's funeral. But was forced to stand beside the 'sobbing husband' and try to keep it together. The funeral itself had been a typical Cullen affair, expensive flowers everywhere, horse drawn hearse, the hysterical, crying wretch begging forgiveness and promising to see her again soon. Jacob thought he gave an Oscar winning performance.

He had gone straight to Sam after her got back from visiting 'Bella' and told him everything he saw. Sam refused to attack the leeches over a girl who made her choices and knew the danger. He wasn't going to risk pack lives over the death of a 'silly, love sick kid.' All he would do was insist they leave the area and never return.

Jacob had exploded.

"We are supposed to protect humans. The treaty says they cannot kill a human but HE did. He killed her and they let it happen!"

Sam had argued that they had already agreed to allow her death. They knew she was going to be bitten and that the treaty would not be broken. So while this was sad it was no different. Bella had made her choices and they had allowed them.

The leeches had found out about his visit to the funeral home and insisted he be arrested for breaking and entering. They even tried to accuse him of trying to fabricate evidence, it was all just a ploy to shut him up and cover themselves. Jacob had spent the night before the funeral in a police cell before Charlie had waded in and insisted he be released. Sadly Sam had been waiting for him the moment he got out and bound him so tight with alpha orders he was unable to phase until a week after the Cullens had left town, giving them more than enough time to get clear and make tracking them next to impossible.

He had spent the next year practically feral. He almost never took human form and ran so far he was able to ignore Sam's orders and eventually managed to break free of the pack and go it alone. The first time there was silence in his head he had been so shocked he phased back. It was a lonely existence but better that way, much better. He searched the country from top to bottom. He came across other vampires but didn't try to interfere with them or attack. He didn't care anymore about protecting people. Red eyes didn't bother him in the slightest. Each one he encountered he tracked for a while to see if they gave any hint of knowing the Cullens but no-one gave anything away and he was no further forward. He occasionally came across the scent of one of the family members but it never led to anything either, they had just vanished.

Eventually after about a decade he returned to La Push. He didn't know what else to do he couldn't just wander around for eternity hoping for a piece of good luck. He was saddened to see his father looking frail and ill, blaming himself he also blamed the leeches. If they had never existed this would never have happened. Knowing that his father needed him fixed his resolve to stay close and hope something came up. Connecting with what was left of his old pack was hard, they had moved on and he was no longer considered family like he once was. They couldn't forgive his abandonment of his people for a dead girl. They were still angry with him and let him know he was really no longer welcome.

Out of his old pack only Seth and Quil were still phasing, the rest had stopped, grown older and had families. Sam had a son and daughter, Paul and Jared both two boys each. Embry and Leah were married with twin girls. Seth had finally imprinted and was trying to stop phasing while Quil was still waiting for Claire to grow up. They seemed happy and at peace while he was still so angry and resentful, even more so at seeing them again and being unable to share a mind. Jacob began to wonder if it was all really worth it. But seeing Bella's grave and hearing about Charlie's death and the guy from the funeral home who the leeches had gotten sacked enraged him again and fuelled his determination to see it through to the end, no matter the cost.

He helped to care for his father for a year after returning. He quietly stepped back into his prior role of dutiful son but he never tried to integrate back into tribal life. When Billy died Jacob refused any council roles and excluded himself completely from the pack. He lived in his childhood home when he needed to, he took part-time, cash paid work when he needed money. But for the most part he existed on the periphery of La Push life, often in wolf form and always alone.

As the years turned to decades and those he had known grew old and passed on he stayed the same. The old pack gave way to new, excitable wolves as he had once been but still he was shunned, unable to communicate with them in wolf form he was alone, and left alone. He hovered around the graveyard day after day, month after month hoping and praying for a sign. He grew bitter and angry, his entire existence became dedicated to the one goal of killing Edward Cullen and yet he had no idea if he were even still alive. His instincts told him that he was but he had no proof. The Cullen house remained empty and the family disappeared into myth. They appeared to have dissolved into the mist like ghosts. At times he began to question if it had all been just a figment of his imagination and not real at all.

The only clue he had that it was real was the grave of his beloved Bella and the flowers that were delivered every month. He had tracked the florist to a shop in La Push and persuaded the shop girl to tell him who ordered them. He had even travelled to Rochester to visit the lawyer but got no further information or leads so he had returned to his lonely graveside vigil knowing that one day someone would appear that would lead him to them.

Then one day, she did.

A red head with attitude and bright green eyes wandered through the cemetery clearly searching for something. She stopped at one grave for a moment before continuing her hunt until she stopped right in front of Bella's headstone and studied it. He knew she was the one he was waiting for when he heard her whispered question at the grave.

" _What happened to you Bella? Did he kill you? Did his father kill my gran?"_

" _I hope you are at peace now, both of you. I ask you to understand why I have to do this. Forgive me please if it is needed, but I have to do this, I have to know and I have to make sure they are punished."_

Bursting with anticipation it was all he could do not to burst out of the trees and tell her everything he knew. But something stopped him, there was the nagging feeling that he had to let her do this on her own, that if he intervened she would never find them. He needed to simply keep waiting and follow her. The years had finally taught him patience so he swallowed down his enthusiasm and watched.

He followed the girl as she visited people in the town but got nowhere. Everywhere she turned she was told to leave the past alone, just like he had been all those years ago. But she didn't let it stop her, she seemed to be driven by the same determination as he was.

Love.

It was the only thing that would drive someone so hard.

He waited in the shadows as she asked her questions and was delighted when she visited Seth. The 'happy punk' was now old and grey but still astute. He was the only one who bothered with Jacob at all out of the old pack.

Sitting just outside the house he overheard her conversation with Seth. She was on the right path and close to the truth Jacob was certain and so it appeared was Seth. When she told Seth that Carlisle had murdered her grandmother he knew she was almost there. He heard the alpha tenor in Seth's voice as he issued his warning to her. And once she had gone Jacob heard his old friend sigh softly before wishing Jacob well and hoping he could finally find some peace. Jacob knew that he would probably never return to La Push and that Seth knew it as well.

He scented a vampire in Port Angeles that night as she was in a bar and managed to pass her the note telling her to watch her back. She wasn't stupid enough to talk about her thoughts to just anyone but the last thing he needed was for another vampire to get suspicious and kill her before she could find the Cullen family. He would be back to square one if that happened.

The vampire in the bar was a nobody and had not paid Ellie, as he had learned she was called, the slightest attention but Jacob still hunted him down later that night and as he watched the flames die it occurred to him that he missed that side of being a wolf. He missed having a purpose and reason for living other than revenge. Perhaps when this was all over he could finally find the peace Seth spoke of and make a life for himself.

"I could even join the new pack!" He laughed to himself as he stared at the yellow eyes watching him from the forest. He might have known they wouldn't let a leech be on their turf for long.

In a small way he was able to help Ellie. He arranged for Embry's grandson, the wolf from the night before, to pass her the card of the solicitors from the florist. All the current pack knew his story as it was passed down in the bonfire stories as the old legends had been. Some were angry at him all over again for abandoning his people but some, mostly the younger generation felt empathy for the lone wolf and wanted to see the Cullen's get some justice at last.

Jacob hovered around outside her Motel room and listened to her book her flights and hotel then returned to his home to make arrangements of his own. Keeping track of her in a city would be much harder than in his home town. He booked himself a room in the same hotel as she had booked and packed a bag, deciding to run not fly. As he crossed the border of the wolf territory he allowed himself a moment of whimsical nostalgia and regret, to consider what might have been then set off.

Keeping track of Ellie had been harder than her had thought, he lost her scent and missed her visit to the lawyer. He caught up with her in the library just as she was leaving but noticed he was not the only one there. He silently followed the leech and watched amused as he broke into a shop and then took himself a hotel room as well.

"This place is going to get fucking crowded if this keeps up." Jacob had mused as he chuckled at the flustered desk clerk as the vampire used his thrall – mojo on her to get the room he wanted. It actually made Jacob quite jealous.

As the evening wore on he heard both leave and trailed them to a bar, then later he watched them leave. He had found it hard to watch the vamp use him mojo on Ellie too and was impressed she seemed to be able to fight it off. He knew he should interfere when he heard her heart take off in fear. Had she realised what her companion was? But something told him this leech knew the Cullens so he decided to just wait and watch. This was probably the break they, he and Ellie, were waiting for. He had decided earlier that he would help her get the revenge she sought as well, it was the least he could do. He just hoped the vamp didn't kill her.

From his own hotel room, which was two floors below, he heard very little of the muffled conversation, only the opening and closing of doors and hurried, very hurried feet along the corridor and onto the fire escape. After a while things calmed and he could hear conversation again. Deciding he needed to know more he climbed out onto the fire escape himself and settled below the window to listen. He had to remind himself to keep quiet a couple of times at Garrett's stumbling behaviour and 'come on I'm a guy' speech. If he wasn't a leech Jake decided he would like this vamp. The conversation between the two went much as he expected and he knew, instinctively, she was safe. The vamp would have killed her straight off if she wasn't so he decided to take himself off to his room and make the most of the huge bed.

It was late the next day when he woke and listened again to the sounds from above. Something was different this time, something was very wrong.

" _Come on!_ " he heard the vamp scream. " _FIGHT! Fight for life! Fight for YOUR life. Fight for me! Fight for whatever you want just FIGHT!"_

" _That's it! Come on you can do this_ "

" _Please baby, please fight!"_

Then he heard the unmistakeable sounds of the vamp slumping to the floor, followed closely by the scream of pain from the girl. He took off onto the fire escape again and got to her window in time to see the vamp wrap her up and gag her then apologise for the whole thing and call her baby. For the first time in a long time Jacob felt guilt and fury wage war inside him. He knew he should have stepped in before and prevented this. He was also furious with the leech for potentially ruining all his plans. But it was obvious the guy cared for Ellie and seemed genuinely sorry. So maybe it would work out, again Jacob decided to wait it out. When later that night he heard the vamp leaving he stole quietly into the room for a clue to where they were going to go. He saw the map to a cabin in the Algonquin Provincial Park and left to pack up himself and make his way there.

Watching Ellie as a new vampire had been amusing; Jacob had very much enjoyed watching the vamp get launched at when Ellie woke up. Her mood swings and remorse at the house had him chuckling. Their hunting exploits were fun to watch, from a safe distance, he didn't want her to decide he was food, but he managed to stay close enough to hear plans being discussed. Jake was relieved to find that Ellie accepted being a vamp and accepted 'Garrett' as her mate. He was also relieved that she was still going to hunt down the Cullens. He managed to stay undetected by the couple, and by the other two that joined them. He could only guess that his scent blended into the forest.

The fight training and temper tantrums made him laugh out load (as a wolf), the fucking he could live without. But the best thing for him was the expression on Garrett's face when he tried feeding from animals the first time, it had him rolling on the floor.

Traipsing around the country after the group as they hunted for their evidence was boring but necessary in Jake's eyes. He knew he was close now, so close he could almost taste it. He could visualize the moment he killed Cullen, he knew he would probably not live long after as the rest of the family would not take it well but that wasn't going to stop him. So it was with trembling excitement he watched when they decided to finally approach the Cullens themselves. He could have sworn Ellie looked straight at him that time. Did she know he was there? She couldn't possibly? The others would have come for him if they had known. Wouldn't they?

Either way it didn't matter now as he looked down into the dying eyes of Edward Cullen.

He had won.

It was finally over. He pictured Bella's face again, her human beautiful face and remembered their kiss before the new-born battle. He remembered how she had told him he was beautiful and that she would always love him. And he smiled in triumph as he watched the pain fill his enemy's eyes.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch on for eternity. Jacob Black felt a peace he had not felt in a long, long time.

That peace was shattered by a scream from the girl who had been with the Cullen family when he arrived. One he had barely registered before so focused had he been on his target.

He raised his head slowly and looked up from the pyre to meet the shocked blue eyes of the human girl.


End file.
